Global Head of Development Talks Upcoming Updates, Squadron 42, and More

Babuinix

https://www.dualshockers.com/star-citizen-interview/

"We’ll also get the first pass of the ability to customize our characters, alongside large improvements to the user interface. Interdiction will be tweaked, and the balance of the economy will be improved.

Another interesting feature that is going to be added is the ability for players to make distress calls: if you get interdicted in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be able to send out a distress call that will provide your location to other players interested in (hopefully) rescuing you.

This is the core of a set of features coming in alpha 3.2 scheduled for June, allowing players to create missions that other pilots can take on, including search and rescue, cargo hauling, and bounty hunting. The system will include a rating feature similar to eBay, enabling players to rate their contacts according to their reliability.

Alpha 3.2 should also include a lot of new non-combat features like mining, trading, and refueling (including in-flight refueling). This process will extend into 3.3 (which should come in September) with the ability to actually mine fuel and salvaging.

More additions to the economy will include the handling of stolen cargo, that players will be able to resell at certain locations at a reduced price, with the danger of being caught by the authorities and the consequences related to that. Basically, between 3.2 and 3.3, the development team plans to implement the means to take on many different careers in the game.

The biggest content push will happen with the advent of object container streaming, focusing on the addition of the whole Stanton system including all of its planets. This should materialize between the third and fourth quarters of the year.

When the Stanton system will be in the game by the end of 2018, players will also be able to purchase land on planets in order to mine or build their own bases. On the other hand, features related to corporations are planned for next year"

rpmcmurphy

Doesn't read like an interview at all, more like a PR puff piece.

Wizardry

Every time i read something by that team,i get a bad feeling they are totally incompetent.
Why does the UI need fixing/improving,did they not plan the UI out in the very first iteration of the game?That should have been amazing after 3+ years,how long do they need to work on a UI?

Customize characters,again wtf,that should have been LONG done long ago.
Distress cal,sure sounds like something the game can use but calling it a FEATURE,idk about that.That is something 1 guy from the team should be able to manage within 2 days tops but realistically,one day.
Oh here it comes,instead of getting the dam game finished..
'players will eventually be able to purchase land parcels"ROFLMAO,yeah no kidding,ramp that cash shop up.
pay pay pay and keep paying and when your done paying,too bad go get a loan,you'll need it.

The only logical sense i can make of ANYONE spending money on this nonsense is those people just have too much money to waste,so they really don't need to rely on intelligent spending ,just spend away.Then i have to wonder,are their FAKE players in forums and community that actually are employees of CIG and are acting like everything is great and encouraging others.

gervaise1

Wizardry said:

Every time i read something by that team,i get a bad feeling they are totally incompetent.
Why does the UI need fixing/improving,did they not plan the UI out in the very first iteration of the game?That should have been amazing after 3+ years,how long do they need to work on a UI?

Customize characters,again wtf,that should have been LONG done long ago.
<snip>

They really should have waited until the game was finished before releasing anything yes?

bcbully

True vutual world sandbox systems, truly awesome. Build the world though...

Sandmanjw

They are still talking alpha at end of 2018?  

Original backers gonna have to will their ships to their heirs...

Kyleran

Sandmanjw said:

They are still talking alpha at end of 2018?  

Original backers gonna have to will their ships to their heirs...

I think most folks realize this game isn't launching in this decade.

DataDay

rpmcmurphy said:

Doesn't read like an interview at all, more like a PR puff piece.

Most published interviews double as PR stunts these days. That said this is definitely not an interview, I agree. More of a write up as it relates to an interview. This is not a bad thing either. The format is fairly typical of games journalism. Since the author is also a backer, and positive coverage retains contact with the studio, it makes sense that its intended to be a positive.

Kyleran said:

Sandmanjw said:

They are still talking alpha at end of 2018?  

Original backers gonna have to will their ships to their heirs...

I think most folks realize this game isn't launching in this decade.

Pretty sure we will see Squadron 42 before 2020. The scope of what they are doing with the extended universe however is mind boggling.

On one hand its going to require a lot of content being made, and from the looks of it, scripted content at that. On the other hand, the networking and server side development alone will be a challenge, as well as all the systems that are being built to hit all their development goals.

When you set your kickstarter goal for the game at $500,000, and you end up raising (combined funding) close to $180,000,000... that kind of changes things.

Imagine releasing a $500k game when you had ten times that in funding? I don't think there is really an easy answer for them. Damned if you do, damned if you dont.