Star Citizen – From the beginning to now (Part 2)

Before you start diving into the world of Star Citizen, I suggest you click here for Part 1 to understand exactly what Star Citizen is. In this post we are getting down and dirty on what you can  download for Star Citizen (yep, I said download), the progress of the game and some interesting features that will be released soon. So, lets gear up and get out there!

Now that Star Citizen has obtained enough funding, sections or modules of the game are available for download. If you were an original backer of the game you got some pretty nice perks that are already present in the first module, the Hanger.

The Hanger Module

This module is where all your nice and shiny ships are stored, along with any perks you’ve obtained from the kickstarter or items that you have purchased. How do you get it? To download it you need to create a Robert Space Industries account and purchase a pledge package that includes a ship, credits and full game access. This is only if you weren’t part of the original backers whom pledged $30 or more. Some of the packages can get pricey, however others are very affordable. Such as the Aurora MR starting at $30 USD. This package includes; the Aurora MR (personal transport ship), 1,000 UEC (in game money), the hanger module, digital Star Citizen Manual, Squadron 42 digital download, Star Citizen digital download and two months of insurance. Insurance you ask? In Star Citizen, real money is used to purchase ships (in addition to module passes (to try a module out), module upgrades, skins for ships, ship upgrades, etc.) however, just because you bought it, doesn’t mean it lasts forever. This is a key aspect of the immersion that Chris Roberts is known for. In the real world, if you wreck your car and you don’t have insurance you are out of luck. This holds true in Star Citizen and for some ships like destroyers and the frigates, that can cost an upwards of $400 or more, I highly encourage insurance coverage. I also like to point out that RSI regularly has sales on ships and other items for purchase, and I have even seen lifetime insurance available on ships that have just been released.

Arena Commander

This module is where you can fly your ship and dogfight other players. It is still in alpha, just like the hanger module. However, unlike the hanger module, arena commander is limited to alpha slots which limit the number of people the module is available to.  To obtain alpha access you would need to purchase a game package that includes it.  Some available packages that include alpha access is the combo-battle pack that has a price tag of $1,100 USD.  You can download arena commander for only $5 USD, however you won’t have alpha access to fight others, but you can still fly around. Check out the video below of me showing in Aeroview Hangar and Arena Commander!

First Person Shooter (FPS)

This was so exciting to see! I was lucky enough to attend the Star Citizen release of the FPS at PAX Aus last year in Oct/Nov. This module is where the shooting happens! This hasn’t been released yet for citizens but it shows tons of promise for when it is. The FPS module takes the fighting in space into ships, on the ground, and even in abandoned space stations. From the release, the FPS has realistic physics and human motion. An aspect of FPS is that the game doesn’t create a person, just a head and a gun. Also, the gun isn’t even where it should be if the person was carrying. In Star Citizen, these issues have been corrected. The body is always generated and present. The gun is held correctly with the body, recoil occurs, your character’s breath shows up on the helmet when they run and the character gets tired too! I love how they have 100% focused on the details that will set Star Citizen above all FPSs. I can definitely say that Star Citizen is setting the bar for future FPS games. During the release the FPS showed realistic fighting and the developers demonstrated fighting in zero gravity. I suggest you check out the video below and see it for yourself!

It will be really cool to see what Star Citizen has in store for the future. I am very excited to see more ship, universe and story line developed.  You might have your concerns about spending money on Star Citizen, but if you like to fly space ships, shoot people out of space and eventually shoot other players in FPS. Then, you should give Star Citizen a try. This isn’t to say this is all the game offers, there will be much much more to come.