Today Cloud Imperium Games released a brand new video about the upcoming single-player component of Star Citizen, titled Squadron 42.
We get more information from the developers about the project.
We hear that the roadmap for Squadron 42 as it is now doesn’t make much sense as work on the game isn’t done as a linear progression chapter by chapter (which is indeed how the roadmap is represented). Development of elements used for multiple chapters goes in parallel.
It’s also important to avoid spoilers, so the current format doesn’t show the progress made on the game in the way developers think is the best, so they’re investigating new ways to show that progress.
“Really cool stuff” is being done, so they want to find a way to present it publicly. They’re currently looking into it publicly. Basically, the team wants to be even more transparent on the progress.
Some possibilities being explored are AMAs including information about Squadron 42 and the game will be showcased during the Sprint Reports in the Inside Star Citizen videos as often as possible. Another option is regular video check-ins with Brian Chambers and the Squadron 42 team.
We then hear that the heavily narrative scenes that will drive the story forward will allow the player to be part of the scene. You’ll be able to leave and rejoin a conversation with NPCs, but rudeness (for instance simply walking away) will leave a negative mark, but that also filters into the story. If you upset someone, then, later on, they might return the favor. This makes you feel “part of the crew.”
Recently the team has been working on the pick up filming for the female version of the player character, which has her own full-fledged performance integrated into each scene. There will be different nuances in her performance that will be different as opposed to the male version of the character. Of course, interactions with other characters will also be slightly different depending on the gender you pick.
AI includes the same systems between the persistent universe and Squadron 42. Teams working on it focus on different aspects like social, ships, and combat. The major improvement recently achieved on ship AI for the persistent universe will also extend to the single-player.
Vendors (including bartenders) are also being progressed on, featuring complex and realistic behavior.
Another interesting thing mentioned in the video is that the visual quality polish showcased in the most recent (and spectacular) trailer on Christmas was only at around 40%, so there is still a lot of room for improvement.
That being said, it’s not a linear progression, and now the team is on the upward part of the curve, with things really beginning to come together.
There is also “a lot of cool stuff” being put together for CitizenCon in October.
We then get to see a sneak peek of one of the space stations that will appear in the game, more precisely Aciedo CommRelay. Of course, it’s work-in-progress. You can find it in the second clip below, set at the right moment where the show starts.
The station is being decommissioned, and it’ll be fully-explorable in the game.
In other Star Citizen news, the crowdfunding total is now at $272,821,731 at the moment of this writing. The number of registered accounts is 2,544,369.
As usual, it’s known that not all of them are paying players. The number includes free accounts created for a variety of reasons.
If you want to learn more about Star Citizen, you can read our latest interview focusing on the Cutlass Red and medical gameplay. You can also take a look at a recent trailer for the game’s single-player component, Squadron 42, which was released on Christmas.
For the sake of full disclosure, the author of this article has been a Star Citizen backer since the original Kickstarter campaign several years ago
