Windows Star Citizen

He's claimed to have filled a complaint with the FTC, so someone sent the FTC about a month later and requested confirmation (which anyone has a right to do) and they said there was nothing. Sod all.

Only in the age of the internet could someone who's achieved so little, attempt to cause such a farce, and get some much attention for absolutely nothing. Fortunately, being that we're in the digital age, the majority of the stuff he spews out is easily proven.

If the PDF on the previous page is the one i read a few days ago, CIG even highlight the fact that they know that he's NEVER downloaded the game! They know he has (and uses) multiple logons on the RSI site/forum, and he's even bragged about having other accounts since being removed. He's nothing but an internet troll, who's achieved nothing as a game developer, and yet makes out he's the one with the history of successful & popular games over many decades.


You guys seen that CIG have 'lost' 3 more staff this week? 'Shipe Shape' Ohanian handed in her 2wk notice earlier in the week, having received an offer she couldnt refuse elsewhere, and apparently Pugh and Alyssa were both fired on Thursday i believe. Not sure why, but i think we can all guess given that they're in the same office.

Kinda sucks though, wouldnt know Alyssa if she knocked on the front door and said 'Hi, im Alyssa', but Pugh's been involved for a long time now, and Lisa has barely been here 5 minutes, and at least she didnt seem so wooden when doing SS. I guess its the downside of Star Citizen being developed publicly and transparently, you wouldnt know the comings & goings happening on most games, cos you only hear of a few names and their the person in charge, PR, community rep etc.

14 days people, FOURTEEN DAYS!!!
I've decided i want to try and get some simple posted printed, mainly cos i want to get something signed for a mate overseas, and i know how much it'd mean to him, and while we'll most likely get a swag poster we can get signed, he aint getting it!
So im just trying to come up with something simple, A4 sized so its easy to frame and doesnt take up too much space, and has a bit of space on there to get a sig & hopefully a short msg too if possible.

Anyone planning on doing anything? Its not like we'll get the chance again, like with Gamescom and PAX's where they turn up each year.

 

In spaceship news, Yesterday's "TBD" item from the schedule (the Endeavour update) will drop on Tuesday.

Star Marine status update

 

Woohoo! Just come from an excellent match! Came in with 10 minutes to go on a battle royale with three very high ranking aces who have killed me many times in the past (fourteen people overall IIRC). Well, I didn't expect to be the winner! Ace award as well! One of the aces I managed to kill three times in a row in the same life!

Don't mean to sound like a flag waving turd, but this is the first time I've actually been good at a multiplayer game!

 

They need to be seen to be working well because of the public scrutiny. I simply hope this added pressure, wherever it may have originated, will make them get their heads down and do what they know how: build a good game.

 

Find it funny that the blog goes live, which plenty of people have criticized and then a PR article goes up on Polygon.



No tinfoil hat here, just cynical of games journalism.

 

I'm not quite sure what it is you are saying her mate? As games move through development there are always some people that become redundant, unless you are with EA etc, in which case you get moved to another project.

Obsidian for example, launched their next kickstarter in order to counteract having to let go all the graphical artists whose role was over.

Honestly mate, as much as I hate trying to stifle debate, Derek Smart inspired rumours are nothing but FUD, and you'd do well to read up as to why the guy is nothing but a troll.

 

Ilfonic will be the next ones to go, as once they complete their Star Marine contract they won't be retained. However, they're contractors, not CIG employees, but it goes to show that headcounts will fluctuate as development progresses.

I mean, there'll come a point when the numbers are chopped right back to just ongoing maintenance and new features. The game isn't going to sustain 250+ people forever.

 

Exactly, I'd probably expect to see 50 or so permanent employees by the end of the main dev cycle. That's still a decent sized team for content etc. Maybe some extra R&D contractors on the side too.

 

This is one of those situations where if you're determined to criticise CIG then you will find fault with whatever they do - if they lay staff off then they're heartless, failing or unable to plan properly or whatever, and if they have to take on more staff then they're bloated and inefficient, panicking, or unable to plan properly.

At the end of the day, CIG should be subject to scrutiny given that they're spending tens of millions of pounds of crowdfunded money, but some of the scrutiny and questioning goes far beyond what's reasonable or fair.

 

I was just pointing some things out.

Do you think changing the TOS, and stating that you have no right to any form of refund. Though that is clearly at their own discretion.

By now I would expect some form of playable game, not a hanger I wonder around etc.

 

Again, its important to read up on all of this because its all been covered a squillion times. Big companies (not just games studios) constantly tweak their TOS, its nothing out of the ordinary. Additionally, as with all crowd funded ventures, it should go without saying that you have no right to a refund. You are backing someones dream and pledging cash because you believe they can do it. Them failing is part of the risk of getting the game for cheap (my package is worth probably $400 on the open market, but I've only put about $100 into the game), and funding something that doesn't yet exist. If you don't think its something they'll achieve, or even if you are on the fence, then steer clear and pick it up for full price at the end if its good.

In regards to progress, people can expect whatever they like, but unless you are a professional games developer, its likely your expectations don't resemble the practical realities of developing a game. On top of that, AAA games like GTAV took twice as long as development of SC has taken so far (5 years), and they were a company fully staffed from day 1, working with an engine they developed in house. I think the one thing we can all agree on is that wish it was further along than it is, its just that its not, so patience is going to be paramount for backers.

 

MrDomRocks I was just watching the final alpha video and release of Prison Architect v1.0. They have been in alpha for three years and worked on the game for two years prior to that. Okay Introversion are a small developer, but five years dev time for a 2D management sim and you start to put the development of Star Citizen into some perspective.

If they manage to release the next content updates within 6 months (Star Marine, Multicrew and ep1 of SQ42) then I don't believe anyone can complain. Yes there have been delays but considering the ambition of this thing it is hardly surprising. It looks to me based on actual footage and community updates that big chunks of the core tech required have now been built, certainly for an open world explore'athon.

The Derek Smart saga is hopefully having a positive effect on the team at CIG to be true to their word and careful on what promises they make. They have given enough for me to hold back from any lasting dissent/worry for another year. Your mileage may vary. I wouldn't be too swayed by the words of a serial wind-up merchant and his blog; as I said previously he makes a few reasonable points and then completely destroys any credibility by way of his unsubstantiated opinions, assumptions and unadulterated bias.

 

Changes in TOS aren't at all surprising. I've clicked through many over the years. I never expected to be able to get a refund from CIG anyway, because I'm not purchasing a product, I'm part funding game development.

Prison Architect is a good example of how slow things can be. I'm amazed that they're only just launching next week (?) - I remember backing it in 2012 and thinking it'd be out within a year or so. If you compare Star Citizen now to the very first trailer, the change is immense.

 

Watch the v1 video I just put in the Prison Architect thread. About 6 minutes in there is a great quote by Mark Morris saying how they could not have made the game without the community and releasing it in stages getting feedback along the way.

 

I get that, I really do having seen other titles, none as impressive in nature as SC take time to come together. DayZ s still in alpha for example.

That being said looking at the breakdown of how CR said development of the title would be and, hell PU was due out early 2015.

I just feel that constantly selling more and more ships etc now after they have had so much money doesn't feel like the development is actually moving forward more that they are making more money and nothing is actually happening.

I will happily say I was wrong as and when the game actually comes to life. Release something beyond a demo Social area where you can go hang out etc.

 

Weekly schedule

10ftC #68:-




04:05 – Ship Armor
06:11 – Coordinates
08:39 – Controlled and Uncontrolled Space
10:33 – NPC Crews
12:38 – Guild Wars
15:19 – Trading in Star Citizen
16:51 – Inflation and Deflation
19:48 – Hiring NPC’s for missions
20:39 – Open Space Travel
22:06 – Travelling in Fleets

 

I think they have learned not to make promises or predictions around release dates as a result. May 2013 was a time when they still believed the fps part of cryengine would pretty much be good to go and not need such an extensive rework. Equally they did not know then that the netcode would need so many rebuilds, that there would be a move to google cloud, and that there would be *7* different skeleton reworks for character models that have needed doing, to name but a few.

In other words the dev process has been organic and they needed to spend time on stuff they had not accounted for; this is not a failing IMO, this is what happens when you are trying to engineer and build something new from the ground up.

10 days to Citizen Con - where there are going to be some big reveals, CR has said it about a dozen times.

 

The vast majority of money that SC made was through their own website and pledge system, not following Kickstarter's terms of service, but their own. Those that did not agree with the changes from the original Kickstarter bid to the RSI bid and stretch goals could have complained and no doubt received a refund, no?

Equally, RSI could refund the original $2.1m or whatever it was from Kickstarter and still be left with $87m? Or does RSI terms of service count for nothing?