Star Citizen Alpha 3.0 is now out, the future is here!

[Trik'Stari]

Been a while since I made a topic, gonna get right into it.

 

STAR CITIZEN ALPHA 3.0 IS NOW LIVE TO ALL BACKERS!

 

For those who do not know, this is the single biggest update so far in the development history of Star Citizen. It brings actual persistence to the Star Citizen universe in a way not done before. Previously you could get in your ship and fly around, get a "mission" where you "fly to a thing and do a thing" and not much happens.

 

This update came out a while ago but was only available to a specific group of the public, but now everyone and anyone who has purchase a package can now (and in fact has to if they want to play Star Citizen) install and play.

 

Quote

Alpha Patch 3.0.0 has been released to all Star Citizen backers. This update contains one of our largest feature sets to date – including the three moons of Crusader, a new mission system, improved shopping and cargo mechanics, and increased our server player count from twenty-four to fifty players. Alpha 3.0.0 is also the first implementation of a lot system changes that go on in the background. For example, with commodity trading, we’re testing out the very first iteration of the dynamic economy that will control the marketplace of the universe.

 

With our new procedural planet tech, there was a strong need to make sure that we efficiently update all the entities and components in our game world (their number increased significantly compared to 2.6.3). We therefore implemented a new update scheduler that allows us to efficiently batch update them per type and update strategy (range based, manual, always, conditionally). As this puts more strain onto our job system, we further refined its core to allow for even lower latency scheduling and supported even more CPU cores.

 

In short, it’s a big update that lays the foundation for larger developments down the road.

 

And here I'll list a few of the things that come with this update

Quote

Crusader moons (I believe these are moons you can land on and explore)

Surface outposts

Derelict ships

Mission Givers

New Missions

Random Encounters

And a HELL of a lot more

The full details are available here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/16348-Star-Citizen-Alpha-300

 

I am so very, VERY excited. This is a complete paradigm change in what currently exists as "Star Citizen".

 

Also new trailer/teaser featuring a salty-as-hell Mark Hamill

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQTcf2bnRhY

[Bouzoo]

Not to make a mess here, but it's ridiculous how much a number can change your perspective. Imagine if they called it 0.3. And I'm pretty sure it would make as much sense as 3.0. Just saying. 

[Trik'Stari]

Just now, Bouzoo said:

Not to make a mess here, but it's ridiculous how much a number can change your perspective. Imagine if they called it 0.3. Just saying. 

Because this is actually a crap load of new content and stuff to do.

 

Also, IIRC this is the start of the actual persistence of the universe. If your ship gets blown up, you have to pay to get a new one (with in game currency I think). Unless you have insurance on it or something.

[Aytex]

Wasn't working for me yesterday but I guess it finally lets me install 3.0 now  hype scamcitizen  

[Bouzoo]

4 minutes ago, Trik'Stari said:

Because this is actually a crap load of new content and stuff to do.

All I'm saying is it's called 3.0 and it's not even released. Let that sink in.

Just to be clear, I'm not interested in the game but imo this is the same as Nvidia misleading graphs. My subjective opinion.

[GDRRiley]

2 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

All I'm saying is it's called 3.0 and it's not even released. Let that sink in.

Just to be clear, I'm not interested in the game but imo this is the same as Nvidia misleading graphs. My subjective opinion.

its alpha 3.0 most indie games use a similar naming scheme. you have full release as v10.0 or remove the alpha/beta

[Trik'Stari]

3 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

All I'm saying is it's called 3.0 and it's not even released. Let that sink in.

Just to be clear, I'm not interested in the game but imo this is the same as Nvidia misleading graphs. My subjective opinion.

Except that here their graphs blatantly say "subject to change" and have actually delivered on their promises, however slow that may be.

 

You can actually go and view their entire projected development schedule if you wish. Which is what I am referring to by "graphs", although it does say "subject to change" which is fine.

[Droidbot]

https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/14/16776300/crytek-star-citizen-lawsuit-cig-rsi

 

star citizen won't release if this goes through, by the way. 

 

not that it will probably release anyways, considering how development is progressing in terms of speed. 

[potoooooooo]

So now it's officially better than elite:dangerous

 

 

1 hour ago, Droidbot said:

https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/14/16776300/crytek-star-citizen-lawsuit-cig-rsi

 

star citizen won't release if this goes through, by the way. 

 

not that it will probably release anyways, considering how development is progressing in terms of speed. 

Why so negative? They're obviously still working on it

[Trik'Stari]

1 hour ago, Droidbot said:

https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/14/16776300/crytek-star-citizen-lawsuit-cig-rsi

 

star citizen won't release if this goes through, by the way. 

 

not that it will probably release anyways, considering how development is progressing in terms of speed. 

I can't comment on the lawsuit as I haven't looked into it fully.

 

As for speed of development, this is honestly no different than any bethesda game. The only reason you or others think of it differently is because it was announced years ago and they have an almost completely public development process. In terms of development speed, they're on par with most of the hallmarks of video game development.

 

Maybe a bit longer, but who cares in an MMO? Look how freaking long some of the current MMO's have been going. WoW, Everquest, etc.

 

Hell even SWTOR is still going despite EA's blind attempts to kill it with garbage microtransactions and shit story.

 

Go look at how long Skyrim or Fallout 4 where in development but not announced, go look at the original Mass Effect.

 

Then take into account how many freaking times Skyrim has been re-released.

 

I remain absolutely optimistic.

[TheRandomness]

2 hours ago, Bouzoo said:

Not to make a mess here, but it's ridiculous how much a number can change your perspective. Imagine if they called it 0.3. And I'm pretty sure it would make as much sense as 3.0. Just saying. 

I mean World of Tanks is currently being marketed as 9.21, and the next update is 1.0, but the client version itself is version 0.9.21.0.2
So numbering really doesn't mean anything so long as it's going up.

[TheRedViper]

Star citizen is still a thing?

[Bouzoo]

5 minutes ago, TheRandomness said:

I mean World of Tanks is currently being marketed as 9.21, and the next update is 1.0, but the client version itself is version 0.9.21.0.2
So numbering really doesn't mean anything so long as it's going up.

Sadly I do know few people that actually base how the game is being progressed by it's version number, which is why it seems to me like devs are using that in their advantge by inflating numbers, thus creating an illusion it's progressing better than it really is. 

 

[TheRandomness]

Just now, Bouzoo said:

Sadly I do know few people that actually base how the game is being progressed by it's version number, which is why it seems to me like devs are using that in their advantge by inflating numbers, thus creating an illusion it's progressing better than it really is. 

 

I mean currently, this update does look massive compared to the last one, the higher number kinda makes sense in this scenario.

[Eaglerino]

10 minutes ago, TheRedViper said:

Star citizen is still a thing?

And hopefully always will be

 

All I want is a better cargo transport system than Elite Dangerous. Don't be another perpetual Early Access game Star Citizen, prove everybody wrong! We can all dream...

[TheRedViper]

Just now, Eaglerino said:

And hopefully always will be

 

All I want is a better cargo transport system than Elite Dangerous. Don't be another perpetual Early Access game Star Citizen, prove everybody wrong! We can all dream...

I played elite dangerous a lot, got repetitive after 100 hours though.

[Eaglerino]

1 minute ago, TheRedViper said:

I played elite dangerous a lot, got repetitive after 100 hours though.

Literally all I want in Star Citizen is to walk out of my ship, put a box in my ship, get in my ship, fly my ship, get out of my ship, and take the box out and get paid. Elite Dangerous lost its cool after the wow factor wore off, and I imagine Star Citizen will too but I played so many hours of trucking games I can now transfer to a star game. Close enough for me.. I hope

[TrigrH]

Pretty impressive for a scam eh @zMeul ?

 

Lmfao.

[Arika]

Star Citizen. a game forever in early access so that any problems or delays can be attributed to " well it's still in early access, it will be better once it's fully released"

[Droidbot]

2 hours ago, potoooooooo said:

So now it's officially better than elite:dangerous

 

 

Why so negative? They're obviously still working on it

Just seems reminiscent of the old DayZ: "We're still working on it but everything's in beta and the game is still not finished"

[Trik'Stari]

6 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

Just seems reminiscent of the old DayZ: "We're still working on it but everything's in beta and the game is still not finished"

I'd rather have this, and have them actually try, than just submit to the standard CoD of the year model that every other dev is going with.

 

Seriously. For me, the gaming industry is by and large dead. I see major releases and thing "why would I buy this?" when I can just pay like $20 for Stardew Valley and am still enjoying the shit out of that.

 

The only two games I am looking forward to for 2018 are Black Future 88 (a cyberpunk indie platformer), and Metro Exodus, a game no one thought was going to get made as the dev's went silent after a bunch of shit happened in Ukraine.

 

But let's look at all the good things coming out from the AAA industry....

 

Lootbox controversy...

 

 

Yep. I'll gladly throw my money away on Star Citizen as opposed to paying for anger, frustration, and disappointment.

[Droidbot]

29 minutes ago, Trik'Stari said:

I'd rather have this, and have them actually try, than just submit to the standard CoD of the year model that every other dev is going with.

 

Seriously. For me, the gaming industry is by and large dead. I see major releases and thing "why would I buy this?" when I can just pay like $20 for Stardew Valley and am still enjoying the shit out of that.

 

The only two games I am looking forward to for 2018 are Black Future 88 (a cyberpunk indie platformer), and Metro Exodus, a game no one thought was going to get made as the dev's went silent after a bunch of shit happened in Ukraine.

 

But let's look at all the good things coming out from the AAA industry....

 

Lootbox controversy...

 

 

Yep. I'll gladly throw my money away on Star Citizen as opposed to paying for anger, frustration, and disappointment.

Both sides of the industry have their problems.

 

It isn't the way they're developing it, it's just the pace of development. 

 

And the AAA industry has some exciting titles coming soon. Red Dead 2, Far Cry 5, Monster Hunter World, etc, etc. 

 

Remember that this was originally funded in 2012.. that's 5 years ago. 

Soon to be 6. 

[Hawx]

I've been playing 3.0 since the first PTU release. It's a nice patch and all, but CIG was unable to get network bind culling working properly before release (a test run basically resulted in doors deciding not to be apart of the ship they were attached to and floating away), meaning client performance still goes out the window as more people join the universe server. I know a lot of improvements were made, with a 60 player 3.0 server about equalling performance to a 24 player 2.6.3 server, but I'm disappointed they decided to rush out a christmas release with a vital performance feature missing.

 

At least from the schedule report, they're well aware of it:

 

 

IMO the best part of this patch was the reworked Aurora, so new players have something nice to fly in.

[Phentos]

Yawn... Wake me up when the game releases. By then I might be balls deep into GTA 7 though.

[Rune]

I stopped caring when they announced the massive expansion to the game beyond the cockpit of a star ship. I wanted to rift/vive my way through the stars and not do anything else.