[Megathread] Star Citizen

[Kyanion]

Nah, there are still people that are basically Kenn/Mr Anderson on there, saying they're right to blame the "noise" that is some backers. CIG can still do no wrong to those people.

Sad but true, but you have to think there is a boiling point for their whales at some point. How long can they keep it all going while not finishing the game? It is so weird.

[kenn9530]

This is a rather bold claim, considering you have absolutely no way to back it up.

I mean, the guys behind EvE could probably do everything SC does if they wanted to. Maybe there's a reason they haven't? I mean, you do realize that the EvE team already has: "EvE" the full feature MMO space game, "Dust" a full feature FPS ground game, and "Valkyrie" a full feature Dogfight Space game. Literally the only thing SC does is roll that into one "seamless" package. Pretty sure that if the EvE team wanted to, they could pull something similar off. Likely the only reason they don't want to is because it would effectively kill the current EvE MMO, and they have no reason to kill something that's still incredibly popular and profitable.

Its fact because the only one that is doing it is CiG, if the EVE team could do it they would of done it by now, Dust and Valkarie are essential dead games as noone plays them, noone wants a standalone dogfighting sim or ground PvP they want it in a complete all in one game.

[Edge-]

if the EVE team could do it they would of done it by now

This presumes they'd ever want to. Which they don't seem to.

Dust and Valkarie are essential dead games as noone plays them, noone wants a standalone dogfighting sim or ground PvP they want it in a complete all in one game.

Dust died because it was a PS3-exclusive shooter release when the platform was a wasteland for shooters. Valkarie actually performed well for them as a VR shooter during the first wave of VR games, but that's all it was supposed to be - an experiment with a VR dogfighter.

Your analysis is way off-base.

[kenn9530]

Wait, what? How is any money spent on the game not considered backing it at this point?



So the PU isn't a good representation
The roadmap is useless and not worth looking at

So how are we supposed to figure out what kind of progress is being made? Just take them at their word?

The company itself makes an at least extra 10 million per year by other means regardless of backers buying space ships, that means backers had nothing to do with that income.

You are to just wait until its ready for release, the PUs main reason is testing features with a larger playerbase and to give the backers something to test themselves.

[Edge-]

The company itself makes an at least extra 10 million per year by other means regardless of backers buying space ships, that means backers had nothing to do with that income.

From...what? Where? Do you have any links, because this is confusing to me.

You are to just wait until its ready for release, the PUs main reason is testing features with a larger playerbase and to give the backers something to test themselves.

So is there any way for folks to find out how the game is progressing if, according to you -

The PU/live servers aren't a good representation of the current state of development

and

The roadmap isn't very useful since it changes so much

So how are folks supposed to find out about development progress, then? Wasn't committing to a transparent development process a bit thing for this game?

[kenn9530]

From...what? Where? Do you have any links, because this is confusing to me.



So is there any way for folks to find out how the game is progressing if, according to you -

The PU/live servers aren't a good representation of the current state of development

and

The roadmap isn't very useful since it changes so much

So how are folks supposed to find out about development progress, then? Wasn't committing to a transparent development process a bit thing for this game?

Its in the star citizen financials, the income on the website is just the crowdfunding money raised, the company itself has raised from other income and subsciption around 90 million, and has had around 50 million in other investment, so on top of the crowdfunded money they have raised an extra 140 million or so, so total amount of money is at around 580 million raised not spent.

Other income and subscriptions does not effect the amount raised from backers buying ships and packages.

[Edge-]

Its in the star citizen financials, the income on the website is just the crowdfunding money raised, the company itself has raised from other income and subsciption around 90 million, and has had around 50 million in other investment, so on top of the crowdfunded money they have raised an extra 140 million or so, so total amount of money is at around 580 million raised not spent.

Other income and subscriptions does not effect the amount raised from backers buying ships and packages.

Ah, so $10/20 sub options that apparently exist to fund Inside Star Citizen, Star Citizen Live, and Calling All Devs. Yeah, that's still crowdfunding since that's going towards promotional efforts for SC/SQ42. I'm not sure what "other income" you're talking about, and outside investment like you're talking about is just that - actual investment in the company/game, it's not revenue.

[Edge-]

So $40m more than even the highest estimate for RDR2 that you used as an example earlier? Whew.

Raised, not necessarily spent. We don't know what they're spending now, but for context they were spending around $4M a month in 2017. And they have more staff and more external support studios working on the game since then.

I can't imagine what their burn rate is now, nowhere near enough info.

[kenn9530]

Ah, so $10/20 sub options that apparently exist to fund Inside Star Citizen, Star Citizen Live, and Calling All Devs. Yeah, that's still crowdfunding since that's going towards promotional efforts for SC/SQ42. I'm not sure what "other income" you're talking about, and outside investment like you're talking about is just that - actual investment in the company/game, it's not revenue.

Sub options is not crowdfunding, its an optional extra service you have access to items, a monthly ship and other benefits, its just extra money generated by the company.

https://cloudimperiumgames.com/blog/...cials-for-2020 other income is partnerships, sponsorship income and other things like local incentives for having a company in a certain area.

[Vakna]

Before 2026, I guess, since they believe they'll be running a popular MMO in 2026.

I mean they also said on the kickstarter I donated to 10 years ago that they would probably have about a 3 year dev time, so not sure how useful information like that is. I have a feeling that when this game finally comes out, it will be so outdated it looks and feels shit. It's like waiting for a PS2 game to come out and by the time it releases the PS4 is the current console.

[kenn9530]

I mean they also said on the kickstarter I donated to 10 years ago that they would probably have about a 3 year dev time, so not sure how useful information like that is. I have a feeling that when this game finally comes out, it will be so outdated it looks and feels shit. It's like waiting for a PS2 game to come out and by the time it releases the PS4 is the current console.

After the kickstarter was completed the community was given an option to expand the game and they voted yes, so it evolved into the MMO and SQ42 they are currently developing so that 3 year dev time was thrown out the window.

The graphics themselves are excellent and they have designed the systems to be easier to update as needed so as technology improves they could constantly update things like the graphics as the years progress but it will take a good few years for the current graphics to look outdated.

[Henako]

It will release at some point even if a few things have to be put in later, the money is not going to dry up anytime soon and the company generates at least 10 million a year income on its own in 2019 without backers. The current version of the PU alpha is not a representation on how much work has been done, its just a small part of it.

I love statements like this, because if they don't get server meshing working, this is literally all the game could ever be. They're incapable of adding more content, and the current game barely functions as it is.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

After the kickstarter was completed the community was given an option to expand the game and they voted yes

This ignores the fact that Roberts just tacked on promise after promise in the form of stretch goals. Most of the scope creep happened during that time.

[kenn9530]

This ignores the fact that Roberts just tacked on promise after promise in the form of stretch goals. Most of the scope creep happened during that time.

The only stretch goals that really expanded the size was number of systems ships and procedural generation, all of which are required for a proper space MMO, i myself would rather wait as long as required for a complete space game rather than the dissapointment with how elite dangerous turned out.

A freelancer 2.0 would of been nice but we need a game to keep you playing, a freelancer 2.0 wouldnt hold as many players for long especially without planet exploration and all the extras.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

a freelancer 2.0 wouldnt hold as many players for long especially without planet exploration and all the extras.

I didn't want a game that held my attention forever.

I just wanted a fun 20-40 hour long singleplayer campaign that was good.

[1001]

so total amount of money is at around 580 million raised not spent.

This is just patently false.

CIG have spent nearly every dollar they have received, their financials show this and total expenditure to date is well over $500 million.
Claiming it is not spent is intentionally misrepresenting the state of affairs, just the usual bad faith information from someone with over $10,000 spent on what is essentially, a failure of a game.

It will release at some point even if a few things have to be put in later

It IS released, how it is now is how it will be for the next 10 or 20 years with dribs and drabs added every 3 months and then at some point (far into the future) they will say it's done (probably because they are bored to tears working on the same game for 30 years rather than completing it).

[Vakna]

After the kickstarter was completed the community was given an option to expand the game and they voted yes, so it evolved into the MMO and SQ42 they are currently developing so that 3 year dev time was thrown out the window.

The graphics themselves are excellent and they have designed the systems to be easier to update as needed so as technology improves they could constantly update things like the graphics as the years progress but it will take a good few years for the current graphics to look outdated.

It's been 10 years though, MMO should have taken maybe 2 years more. No game has ever taken this long, even an MMO, and Star Citizen has more money dumped into it's production than any game ever has as well. Game should have been completed and released, MMO and all in 2016-2017

[Wilian]

If you think there is more content in RDR2 then you are very deluded, there is no helping you, noone believes the lies you tell yourself.

Just the hunting in RDR2 is far more involved, complex and thoroughly fleshed out than everything SC offers currently in its pre-alpha prototyping phase.

- - - Updated - - -

A freelancer 2.0 would of been nice but we need a game to keep you playing, a freelancer 2.0 wouldnt hold as many players for long especially without planet exploration and all the extras.

So as official company representative, how much do you reckon the allocated resources for direct forum PR is?

[vian]

Is it out yet?

[XDurionX]

Raised, not necessarily spent. We don't know what they're spending now, but for context they were spending around $4M a month in 2017. And they have more staff and more external support studios working on the game since then.

I can't imagine what their burn rate is now, nowhere near enough info.

Well we can be certain they spend that money on both virtual and IRL baristas.