Star Citizen

[Timby]

I used to play Freelancer in my early 20s, and I loved that game. Of course, what we got of it was half-baked because the publisher finally got fed up and forced everything together to be released because it had gone years over time and millions of dollars over budget.

Oh, I fucking love Freelancer despite its flaws, but Roberts has absolutely no programming skills whatsoever (which is what makes those videos from a few years ago, of him tapping in a few PHP bits while pretending that they're actively changing the game build he's trying to demo), and it's a perfect example of Star Citizen: "I'mma make Wing Commander and I'mma make Privateer and I'mma make Freelancer and I'mma make a movie and it'll have all these ships and planets and space systems and fidelity and physics and you know CryEngine is actually really good and oh shit NO WAIT WE NEEDED TO USE LUMBERYARD BECAUSE IT'S SO EASIER TO USE and oh shit what the fuck can we actually deliver"

Fuck's sake, Blizzard can't do all that shit despite having more money than God, and their MMO still looks like a piece of shit despite coming out, what, 14 years ago? Because they have to endlessly tweak things like the economy and whatnot.

 

[Jax]

Freelancer was a superb game and the community created a ton of really good mods. My only gripe is I never really got to play online with it much because the online service sucked and then just stopped working one day.

 

[Amaris]

Oh, I fucking love Freelancer despite its flaws, but Roberts has absolutely no programming skills whatsoever (which is what makes those videos from a few years ago, of him tapping in a few PHP bits while pretending that they're actively changing the game build he's trying to demo), and it's a perfect example of Star Citizen: "I'mma make Wing Commander and I'mma make Privateer and I'mma make Freelancer and I'mma make a movie and it'll have all these ships and planets and space systems and fidelity and physics and you know CryEngine is actually really good and oh shit NO WAIT WE NEEDED TO USE LUMBERYARD BECAUSE IT'S SO EASIER TO USE and oh shit what the fuck can we actually deliver"

Fuck's sake, Blizzard can't do all that shit despite having more money than God, and their MMO still looks like a piece of shit despite coming out, what, 14 years ago? Because they have to endlessly tweak things like the economy and whatnot.

Bingo. Yahtzee. Scrabble. Nailed it.

He's a great dreamer, that I can't fault him on, because I want a game like Star Citizen to exist. If it were real, it would be the ultimate space sim. Unfortunately, CryEngine and Lumberyard aren't up to that vision. As you say, it's not likely any engine (or software company) is, because the demands on it would be enormous, and that would just be getting it out the door. Making everything work? Hell no. On a technical level, the requirements for this game will outpace just about any current gaming rig, and will tax the hell out of any future rig. Right now, they can't even get a solid, consistent 30 FPS from the few modules they have out, and they claim they'll make it all work once they use this super awesome optimization system that will somehow bring it all together flawlessly. They're counting on everything just working, and I don't know what magic mushrooms they've been consuming, but nothing is going to just work if you're constantly placing harder and more complex demands on hardware that will already have trouble holding it together as it is. I'm starting to think their 10 year plan is to wait 20 years for better hardware and newer technology.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'll also note that Star Citizen is more or less the game Derek Smart has been trying to make (and make, and make...) for the past 20+ years. And Smart seems to be a much better programmer than Roberts!

 

[Timby]

I'll also note that Star Citizen is more or less the game Derek Smart has been trying to make (and make, and make...) for the past 20+ years. And Smart seems to be a much better programmer than Roberts!

Hell, didn't Smart at least actually ship like two versions of BC3KAD?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Hell, didn't Smart at least actually ship like two versions of BC3KAD?

I've played most of them, and I can tell you it's even more than that!

Two shipped versions of BC3K, for sure. Then BC Millennium. Then Universal Combat (which is basically just BCM with some new features and a focus on the FPS stuff).

I kind of lost track after that--I know there's Angle of Attack and All Aspect Warfare, but I don't think they are very BC-like. Checking the website reminded me that Line of Defense exists. Looks like it was pulled from Steam a while back to complete a closed beta, but who knows if it will ever emerge? On the other hand, Smart does ship, one way or another.

I don't think I've seen Smart dunking on Star Citizen much recently, come to think of it. Did he get back to working on his games?

 

[Timby]

Oh, he's still shilling his endless blog posts over at SA (where he's been banned twice for doxing). He's been predicting an "extinction-level event" to happen to CIG "in the very near future" for like a year.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Oh, he's still shilling his endless blog posts over at SA (where he's been banned twice for doxing). He's been predicting an "extinction-level event" to happen to CIG "in the very near future" for like a year.

He might be right. Eventually.

 

[Amaris]

I would agree, except somehow CIG has been making millions for years without having to produce much while promising everything. My money is on the notion that if CIG made a basically functioning game, with some of what they promised, that would probably be enough for the hardcore supporters. It's like being promised steak, but the process takes so long that when they finally bring you something to eat it's mincemeat, but you're so damned hungry you don't care and it tastes like the best thing ever.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Doesn't matter. It's the nature of the industry. Once main development is done and the game ships, they will have to cut because the revenue streams will not be able to support their current burn rate. Even games expected to do very well experience this launch window cutback. And if CIG doesn't do it, they'll go broke that much faster.

 

[Amaris]

Doesn't matter. It's the nature of the industry. Once main development is done and the game ships, they will have to cut because the revenue streams will not be able to support their current burn rate. Even games expected to do very well experience this launch window cutback. And if CIG doesn't do it, they'll go broke that much faster.

We'll all eat our words now. Have you seen mobiglas? It's the awesome new fluff you can use when playing Star Citizen*, and it's super fidelity!

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*game may not be included. Ever.

 

[Timby]

This was from today's Gamescom presentation.

Yep, that game's looking solid.

 

[Amaris]

This was from today's Gamescom presentation.

Yep, that game's looking solid.

Wow. They got all that juice from just one bag of oranges!

Seriously, 5 years and $150+ million. I need to go into the independent game development business.

 

[Kemaiku]

Damn, those 2003 graphics and 1999 camera angles. I'm feeling all nostaglic....and a bit nauseous.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

How about that frame rate, too?

 

[Amaris]

2 FPS is a perfectly cromulent frame rate for such an immersive game.

 

[Timby]

CryTek has now sued RSI / CIG, claiming breach of contract.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Every time this thread is bumped I'm surprised Chris Roberts hasn't been arrested yet.

 

[Timby]

This is what $170+ million buys you.

 

[FPAlpha]

This is what $170+ million buys you.

It's apparently expensive to create render scenes of a quality from about 5 years ago.