During the summer, Star Citizen will have a historical update… Explanation of a craze that crosses the ages!
There are complicated games to explain, and Star Citizen is undeniably one of them. On the one hand because it offers all types of games in its identity and on the other because it is not finished yet. Although it is in the category of massively multiplayer games. It's just as much an FPS, an RPG and a strategy game at the same time. But it's also a racing, action, adventure and stealth game. Its science fiction universe is also extremely varied, ranging from space stations and ships of monumental size to fully visitable planets and moons in the game with ecosystems richer than each other. Outposts initiating a new colony, giant metropolises sometimes covering the entire planet or untouched wild landscapes. This game offers its players an adventure that meets all requirements.
The game itself is the result of a crowdfunding campaign that began in 2012. And almost five years later, it is still far from having completed its development. Available in Early Access since the beginning, players were able to see Star Citizen grow. And this time, with the next update, Star Citizen will finally become a minimum viable. And as a picture is sometimes worth a thousand words, here is a video, a demonstration of what awaits us very soon…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdCFTF8j7yI&t
The video contains a plan of a fully visitable planet. Varied environments, a small session in a spaceship, a six-wheeled vehicle, a motorcycle. The discovery of weapons in hand preceding ambush fights. The exploration of a ship's carcass and dynamic climatic conditions.
And what do we do there?
Against all odds, this is a massively multiplayer game. This demo presented above offers to browse the adventure accompanied by many friends. We do not yet know exactly the number of players but it would be between 30 and 60 for now. The final game aims for a single server for everyone and the possibility of making excursions of more than a hundred players. The next update will feature three relatively empty moons but covered with a few outposts. The goal here is mainly to get your hands dirty with landing and piloting land vehicles. There will also be, a little further in the galaxy, a meteorite so large that it contains a real small underground city. Breakthroughs in pirate-occupied camps will be expected, but cargo deliveries. There will also be shops, hospitals and outposts with various uses.
Levski, a former mining town carved into a giant asteroid
Alpha 3.0: Where are we at?
The previous two updates were about battleships and rifles. Thanks to Newtonian physics, piloting ships has a pleasant feel. There is indeed a simulation aspect but nothing scary for an arcade player. For the variety of ships available, it goes, in addition, from the single-seat fighter to the small corvette with a crew of 8 companions. The game will propose by next year to embark aboard gigantic frigates and cruisers ranging from 20 to 100 people on board. However, civilian vessels have not been forgotten. There are therefore conveyors for cargo like the "Freelancer" illustrated just above with its crew of 4 people. There are also single-seater conveyors for lone wolves. But above all, there is the gigantic "MISC Starfarer". First used as a fuel refueller with its large tanks, it also has a comfortable cargo hold for cargo transport accompanied by a crew of 13-15 crew.
The game already has a fairly well-stocked list of ships available for all tastes and sizes. You can discover all the ships of the game on the official website a good part of them are already present in the currently playable version. For the moment it will be necessary to be satisfied with a majority of single-seaters as well as some medium-sized vessels. Of course, those who do not like piloting a ship will have different occupations.
A universe finally alive
The next update will bring a lot of new features compared to previous editions. Thanks to the addition of artificial intelligence, new enemies but also allies will appear. Civilians will come to live in the various cities and stations. Some of them will even offer to join you on your ship. And, of course, the arrival of many hackers wandering on all the moons of the system. But also expect to find them in wrecks or even hidden in space stations. Whether on foot, by ship or by land vehicle. You will therefore have the opportunity to face the environment in any way possible. Depending on your skills and your tempo, you will come across citizens giving you missions a little more sensitive … It will also be possible to modify the parts of his ship and weapons in order to always be equipped with the best tools.
The strength of Star Citizen
-The complexity of ships at the service of players' freedom
Some of these ships are so large that they carry within them the land vehicles that you will carry into the universe. Others, even bigger, allow you to take your car inside. Yes, that's right, one of the great assets of Star Citizen is its interactivity. All ships behave like real flying houses. The interior is fully visitable and it will be necessary to maintain it by opening some hatches, you can also walk freely inside and cross your teammates to settle in the cabins or at your post. The holds, they are a free space, you can put cargo that will have to be transported either manually for small packages or automatically for time reasons for the largest holds.
-The variety of equipment for the characters
The same goes for our soldiers and operators.Medium-sized ships offer their crew lockers in order to change combinations. No need to stay in armor or spacesuits when you're indoors or on dry land. The ability to store weapons helps avoid losing them in the event of a sudden incident. The player also has the possibility to create his own face. There is also a full dress system where players can wear civilian clothes. We can change, for a few credits, clothes of all kinds. T-shirts, jackets, caps, pants, jackets etc. The customization of the appearance will be very complete since all the clothes can be chosen independently of the others. Note also the customization of the appearance of weapons thanks to paintings, a bit like CS:Go or Destiny. An overview of the different weapon appearances is available here.
-The unprecedented maturity of the style of play
Although not yet fully implemented, death or scratches in the game have serious impacts. The health system does not forgive, in case of damage to limbs, they will limit you in your movements or your survival. The system of reappearance does exist but it is at the cost of very heavy sacrifices , so it will be imperative to think before acting. Similarly for ships, repairs are expensive. There is also an insurance system in case of destruction of any equipment. It is therefore necessary to be vigilant in each attack or movement. All this will involve sustained cooperation with teammates or your reputation in the game in the eyes of locals. You could even start cooperation with pirate groups…
-A refined script
Developed by a former film producer, the game will feature a lot of cutscenes. Just as well in the cockpit of your ship or on land. In addition, the story that shaped the world was developed with the help of no less than five screenwriters. They take care of consistently justifying all the elements of the game. Whether it's for ship dealers , clothing, equipment, planets or the most mundane space stations, they all have their own story. The game has a great military dimension but civilian and more mainly corporate stories also make a good part. All this, provided by quality animations and decorations.
Part 2 of this column very soon
You will suspect that with such a rich universe, there is still so much to say. So I look forward to seeing you throughout the month of June to explore the rest of this fantastic video game. We will discuss the story in more detail, the technical part or the potential beyond the next update. The trades and occupations available, the planets, the factions and so much more. Do not hesitate to express yourself in the comments if you want to clarify certain details. Is it a revolutionary game? We will try to find out more.
More soon on JustFocus…
