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15 CommentsCloud Imperium flaunts Star Citizen's Hangar Module standalone app
By Jenna Pitcher on May 20, 2013 05.20.13
Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium have released the first look at the Hangar Module, a standalone app that will allow players to customize and interact their spaceships in-engine ahead of the game's release. Australian actress Sandi Gardiner and artist Forrest Stephen walk backers through the app in the video below, which showcases an entry level hanger that is only half completed. Those who pledged more or bought better ships will get a better hanger. "You are going to be able to access you ship, you are going to be able to interact with your ship," Stephen said. "You are going to be able to see all of your modular components that can be customized." Star Citizen is expected to be released in November 2014 and the Hangar Module is slated to launch later this summer. The space...
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0 CommentsStar Citizen's abandoned colony on Orion 3, aka Armitage, revealed
By Jenna Pitcher on May 15, 2013 05.15.13
Cloud Imperium revealed the concept art and key player areas for the former colony on Orion 3, aka the planet Armitage, for its Kickstarted space sim Star Citizen. According to the website, Armitage is the furthest human settlement away from Earth and was so vulnerable that it was one of the first targets of the Vanduu. The concept art shows an aerial view of the settlement, fighter docking bays and a sparsely populated cityscape. The post outlines the settlement's key areas where players will visit, including an abandoned repair shop called the The Bay and a drinking hole and criminal info trading establishment called the Lost Horizon. The Bay offers players ship repairs, refueling and limited ship modifications, while Lost Horizon offers a local meeting place and criminal...
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1 CommentStar Citizen's Lifetime Insurance refinements designed to be 'as fair as possible'
By Dave Tach on May 08, 2013 05.08.13
Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium will tweak the game's Lifetime Insurance (LTI) program to be "as fair as possible" to all players as the game transitions to a new website, according to a post on the game's official website. LTI allows players to replace their ships hull in the space sim without limitation or cost if they're destroyed or stolen. "LTI is intended to make this more convenient for our early backers, not to unbalance the game in any way," the post explains. "Insurance does not negate the cost of repairing, rearming or docking your ship. It protects your hull in its current condition and does not allow you to explode a beaten up ship to exchange for a fresh one at no cost." The game's new site will divide backers into three groups. "Original" backers who pledged...
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17 CommentsStar Citizen’s Aurora spacecraft revealed, upgrades available for limited time
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Apr 28, 2013 04.28.13
Cloud Imperium revealed the Aurora, the first ship for Kickstarted space sim Star Citizen, and will offer a weeklong sale for backers to purchase a special edition. The announcement was made via Roberts Space Industries. According to the post, the Aurora is the game's basic ship that most players will start with. It was designed by concept artist Ryan Church of Star Wars and Star Trek fame. The Aurora LX will be available in the complete game, but this will be the only chance for players to back it. Those who already have an Aurora can upgrade in the finished game for $5. For those that have already backed Star Citizen, an add-on Aurora LX is available for $25. The Aurora LX starter package is available for $35, while the advanced starter package, which includes lifetime insurance and...
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7 CommentsStar Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games opens Santa Monica office
By Samit Sarkar on Apr 23, 2013 04.23.13
Cloud Imperium Games, the company behind Star Citizen, has opened a new office in Santa Monica, Calif., to assist with development of the upcoming crowdfunded space simulation title, the studio announced today. The company already has branches in Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles; studio head Chris Roberts said in a press release today that he is "a big believer in utilizing small, very focused development groups." Cloud Imperium's new team will focus on "high-end creative elements" of Star Citizen, as well as publishing duties and the structure of the game's engine. Its other branches are working on elements like technology, game design and production, web development and customer support. "We couldn't be more pleased with hanging our shingle up in Santa Monica," added Roberts. "It's an...
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19 CommentsOculus Rift creator and other industry experts brainstorm about movement in virtual reality
By Griffin McElroy on Mar 08, 2013 03.08.13
During a SXSW Interactive panel titled Virtual Reality: The Holy Grail of Gaming, Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey and a handful of industry veterans tackled an interesting issue: How do you simulate actual movement in a virtual reality space? Luckey outlined a few possible solutions, which ranged from possible to wildly unreasonable. The most likely solution would be an omnidirectional treadmill, upon which players could walk to move themselves in-game without the use of a traditional controller. There are psychological solutions, including redirected walking — a method of tricking your brain into thinking your body is turning and redirecting itself when it is, in fact, moving in a straight line. Using that method, Luckey said, the simulation could make a 20-foot room seem more or...
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8 CommentsStar Citizen's death mechanic will help create a 'sense of living history' through mortality
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 06, 2013 02.06.13
Chris Roberts' crowdfunded space sim, Star Citizen, will include a death mechanic that allows characters to die multiple times before finally facing a permanent death. Roberts detailed the mechanic in a lengthy post, explaining that in games with easy respawns, there's no sense of real accomplishment. But permanent death is too harsh a consequence for players who might have just run into the wrong side of a fight, and Roberts is more interested in keeping the game "immersive and fun." "To achieve [a] sense of a living history, there needs to be a universe where time progresses, characters die and new ones come to the front," Roberts wrote. "I see each character you play having the ability to 'die' multiple times before the character is finally put to rest. Think of this like 'lives'...
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1 CommentStar Citizen developer supports Kickstarted projects Godus, Elite: Dangerous
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Dec 20, 2012 12.20.12
Star Citizen developer Chris Roberts is a firm believer in the power of crowd-funding, and has urged his backers and fans to turn their attention to two Kickstarter projects that he says need a monetary bump as their campaigns wind to a close: 22Cans' Godus and Frontier Developments' Elite: Dangerous. Roberts defended 22Cans' director Peter Molyneux against the "blow back" leveled against the developer and his current title, Curiosity — what's inside the cube? According to Roberts, the likeliest reason for features not making a final game cut, like what happened with Curiosity, are due to publishers needing to push a game at a certain deadline. "He is definitely very enthusiastic, which can get him into trouble sometimes, as he can over promise, but it always comes from the right...
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6 CommentsStar Citizen funding drive ends with $6 million via Kickstarter, Roberts Space Industries website
By Michael McWhertor on Nov 19, 2012 11.19.12
The dual crowdfunding efforts backing Chris Roberts' ambitious space sim Star Citizen have amassed more than $6 million, three times the project's original funding goal. The majority of that funding was funneled through the Roberts Space Industries website, which pulled in $4.1 million. An additional $2.1 million was pledged through a Kickstarter campaign that concluded today. Combined, nearly 90,000 backers have contributed to Star Citizen since fundraising began in early October. "The battle is over and we — PC gamers, space sim fans, WingNuts, Lancers and the rest — have won," reads an update posted by the Star Citizen team. "You've not only met every goal we set, you've exceeded them. Star Citizen will be released because of your dedication and your willingness to put your...
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4 CommentsStar Citizen enters final hours, team prepares for live-stream
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Nov 17, 2012 11.17.12
Chris Robert's space sim Kickstarter Star Citizen will end its final hours with a number of updates and a live-stream campaign from Cloud Imperium's temporary offices, the team announced today. The campaign has already raised well over $4 million, and, according to the update, has set the record for crowd-funding games. Within the next 24 hours, fans can expect news on the game's art, music and more. When the campaign enters its final 24 hours at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 18, the team will begin a telethon-style live-stream from Austin, Texas. Roberts and crew will answer fan questions and give away prizes, as well as offer limited-time special-offer packages to support the game. A final stretch goal of $5.5 million has been set. If reached, the Bengal carrier will become playable in...
