Star Citizen Social Module Released

Roberts Space Industries announces the release of alpha version 1.2 of Star Citizen to backers of the space simulation, offering first crack at what's called the game's social module (thanks 88fingers). Here are the complete patch notes, and here's an overview on how this is the first step towards the game's persistent universe:
The first release of Star Citizen’s Social Module is now available on the live server! We would like to thank the thousands of backers who helped stress test this release on the PTU early in the week; now we’re excited to make it available to everyone. You can access the complete patch notes for today’s release, Star Citizen Alpha 1.2, here.

The Social Module represents our first step into Star Citizen’s Persistent Universe. In the coming months, you will begin to see Star Citizen’s formerly-disparate modules come together into our long term vision for the game. Today, you can enter your Hangar, load up Arena Commander and take the elevator to explore ArcCorp with other players. From here, expect to see the universe expand!

Read on for word directly from Tony Zurovec, Star Citizen’s Persistent Universe Director. Tony has written an introduction to the Social Module and an outline of what’s coming next. We hope you enjoy your first steps outside your Hangar, and now we can truly say: we’ll see you in the ‘Verse!
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207.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 5, 2015, 13:33
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 5, 2015, 13:33
Sep 5, 2015, 13:33
 
dsmart wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 08:36:
...Since the law doesn't prevent them from continuing to raise money, the Feds can put a stop to it if during their investigation they find anything wrong with what they're doing over there.

The imaginary lawsuit has now moved to an imaginary federal investigation?

By the way, when you do your imaginary discovery, could you ask them who really killed Kennedy, and also, where my second set of truck keys went? I can't find them anywhere.
206.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 5, 2015, 12:30
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 5, 2015, 12:30
Sep 5, 2015, 12:30
 
I tried reading some of your posts to find the answer to my question but unfortunately I couldn't find it. Couldn't bear reading through anymore of your posts about how they picked the wrong guy to fight with and the pretty much grotesque amount of arrogance your posts are dribbled with.
if you have any tl'dr version of the answer let me know cuz going through your blog comments is too much narcissism to handle.
205.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 5, 2015, 08:17
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 5, 2015, 08:17
Sep 5, 2015, 08:17
 
{PH}88fingers wrote on Sep 4, 2015, 20:13:
when do we get to see the letter CIG sent to you?

I mentioned the plan in this comment.

This comment was edited on Sep 5, 2015, 14:00.
Game developers are just human beings who happen to make games for a living. If you want to hold us up to higher standards of conduct, then go ahead
...but don't be surprised if we don't uphold them
Avatar 9141
204.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 4, 2015, 20:13
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 4, 2015, 20:13
Sep 4, 2015, 20:13
 
when do we get to see the letter CIG sent to you?
203.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 4, 2015, 18:26
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 4, 2015, 18:26
Sep 4, 2015, 18:26
 
Bundy wrote on Sep 4, 2015, 14:52:
dsmart wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 20:27:
So I got a response to the demand letter. And of course I have a response up on the blog now.

Also, how soon we forget. It was barely THREE YEARS AGO.

lol, i tried to read this at work. But our company's cloud based web proxy (websense) classified your domain (www.dereksmart.org) as promoting marijuana use. Great, now I'm gonna get reported to HR!

LOL! yeah, some morons have been tagging the site e.g. (over on http://mywot.com) in order to prevent people from reading my blogs. Go figure.
Game developers are just human beings who happen to make games for a living. If you want to hold us up to higher standards of conduct, then go ahead
...but don't be surprised if we don't uphold them
Avatar 9141
202.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 4, 2015, 14:52
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 4, 2015, 14:52
Sep 4, 2015, 14:52
 
dsmart wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 20:27:
So I got a response to the demand letter. And of course I have a response up on the blog now.

Also, how soon we forget. It was barely THREE YEARS AGO.

lol, i tried to read this at work. But our company's cloud based web proxy (websense) classified your domain (www.dereksmart.org) as promoting marijuana use. Great, now I'm gonna get reported to HR!
201.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 4, 2015, 14:29
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 4, 2015, 14:29
Sep 4, 2015, 14:29
 
jdreyer wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 12:56:
At one point, Chris said "No more stretch goals" and all the fanbois (pronounced "fan-BWAH" from French) complained, so he continued adding them, so it's not entirely his fault.

Ahem.

Bullshit. Bull. Fucking. Shit.

He's the guy the buck stops with. He could have just said "sorry guys, if we keep doing stretch goals the feature creep might put the project in jeopardy" and the white knights would have fallen right in line.

I have no doubt when they said "keep going" he was fantasizing that he was a rock star and the audience was chanting "encore!" That was a pure ego move and it was 100% CR's fault for putting ego before good project management.
200.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 23:25
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 23:25
Sep 3, 2015, 23:25
 
Kxmode wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 20:24:
@CJ_Parker - Another documented lie.

There's a scene from the movie Minority Report when Detective Danny Witwer viewing the crime scene of Leo Crow's murder says to Officer Fletcher, "I worked homicide before federal. This is what we call an orgy of evidence. You know how many orgies I had as a homicide cop?" Officer Fletcher replies "How many?" Danny Witwer, "None."

This is an "orgy of evidence" of a pure scam completely orchestrated from the beginning.

And we all remember what happened to Danny... Dead
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
199.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 20:32
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 20:32
Sep 3, 2015, 20:32
 
Kxmode wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 18:49:
Derek I read your "response to my legal demand letter" from CIG.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1snct8k

"your client is now asking for a "forensic accounting" to be made available to him. . . . Secondly, the ample information provided regularly on our extensive website, including monthly progress reports from each studio, published headcounts and the like, would enable any person familiar with the cost of game development to assess the proper spending of the funds raised.

When I was a Backer I had no idea (and still don't today) how to "assess the proper spending of the funds raised" based on Bugsmashers, Around the Verse, 10 for the Chairman, Wingman's Hangar and Meet the Devs. The monthly status reports told me nothing about how much money was spent on X and how much on Y. How much this costs and how much that costs. Is he serious?

I think this classifies as a brand new irrational response.

35. OBTAINING FINANCIAL FACTS BASED ON MARKETING INFORMATION
"The ample information provided regularly on our extensive website, including monthly progress reports from each studio, published headcounts and the like, would enable any person familiar with the cost of game development to assess the proper spending of the funds raised."

It's interesting we had this conversation on your blog and in private and the conclusion was made that there were just too many variables and not enough information available to figure out how much money CIG has spent and how much remains. We came up with a ballpark of 2-3 million per month that CIG needs to make in order to meet obligations, but that was based on pure conjecture. And all of our discussions was based on, as Mr. Freyermuth calls it, "ample information provided regularly on our extensive website".

No one can understand CIG's financials based on anything they've published. The conclusion is Mr. Freyermuth is lying, which isn't surprising given Chris Roberts' rampant misleading statements.

Yes - He's serious. Now you see why I simply couldn't wait for the next blog, but had to release this morsel once I got the letter from the attorneys.

Since I have now relocated that post from Twitlonger to the blog (in which I mentioned the demand letter) so I could add HTML formatting, when you get the chance, please add your reply to it for context, because it's priceless and is pretty much what we were thinking when we read that.
Game developers are just human beings who happen to make games for a living. If you want to hold us up to higher standards of conduct, then go ahead
...but don't be surprised if we don't uphold them
Avatar 9141
198.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 20:27
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 20:27
Sep 3, 2015, 20:27
 
So I got a response to the demand letter. And of course I have a response up on the blog now.

Also, how soon we forget. It was barely THREE YEARS AGO.
Game developers are just human beings who happen to make games for a living. If you want to hold us up to higher standards of conduct, then go ahead
...but don't be surprised if we don't uphold them
Avatar 9141
197.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 20:24
Kxmode
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 20:24
Sep 3, 2015, 20:24
 Kxmode
 
@CJ_Parker - Another documented lie.

There's a scene from the movie Minority Report when Detective Danny Witwer viewing the crime scene of Leo Crow's murder says to Officer Fletcher, "I worked homicide before federal. This is what we call an orgy of evidence. You know how many orgies I had as a homicide cop?" Officer Fletcher replies "How many?" Danny Witwer, "None."

This is an "orgy of evidence" of a pure scam completely orchestrated from the beginning.
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
Avatar 18786
196.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 20:00
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 20:00
Sep 3, 2015, 20:00
 
Kxmode wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 18:49:
When I was a Backer I had no idea (and still don't today) how to "assess the proper spending of the funds raised" based on Bugsmashers, Around the Verse, 10 for the Chairman, Wingman's Hangar and Meet the Devs. The monthly status reports told me nothing about how much money was spent on X and how much on Y. How much this costs and how much that costs. Is he serious?

This is one of those topics where CIG has cheated backers. When the optional subscriptions were originally announced, the idea was to give backers an opportunity to pledge support in smaller more manageable chunks instead of being required to pay for a more expensive game package. The money from the optional subscriptions was supposed to support *development of the game*.

CIG later arbitrarily changed the utilization of subscription funds to producing Wingman's Hangar and other various marketing activities.
Subscription funds are going to a separate pool from game development to fund AtV, RtV, 10ftC and all that stuff nowadays. It is not money contributing to the game.
Do all subscribers know about this? Doubtful. People who went by the original word might still think they are contributing to making the game when in reality they are just funding the production of shows everyone can watch freely.

Since I can already smell the White Knights from several miles away who probably want to spread more lies and tell us that subs were always just meant for the shows, well, here's a preemptive strike to silence them with regard to the original idea of subs...

Over the past month we’ve had a lot of requests from users who simply want to support the game. Some can’t afford to spend $250 on a higher pledge tier right now but would like to help out every month for a small amount. Then there are those that have already backed for a good amount but believe so strongly in the project that they want help make sure we can deliver as much content and functionality as possible by adding a monthly contribution. We’re honored and humbled by this.

We welcome the support as every extra dollar allows us to flesh out the world with more ships, locations and features. If just 10% of the community helps out in this manner, we would be able to afford 6 additional team members. This would mean more artists to build ships and systems, game designers to flesh out missions and an additional person or two to service the community more effectively.

[...]

We’re excited about making these two development subscriptions available immediately, but once again our ambitions are a little bit ahead of our site’s capabilities. As such, we’re asking interested subscribers to purchase the Centurion or Imperator pledge from our main page. This will bill you for the first month. Once the crowd funding phase has ended we will then spend the time needed to properly implement a recurring charge through all our supported payment methods, which we will have up and running in time for your second month’s subscription payment.

We are eternally grateful for all the amazing support you’ve given us so far and we don’t expect any more from any of you. This is completely optional and is all about your desire to see that Star Citizen is the richest game possible from the outset.



... and here is the official subscription FAQ where they reveal that not a single cent of people's money goes to development or making the game richer anymore as originally promised and -yes- this was a stealth change... a subscriber who has not actively searched for this new FAQ and kept up with development would not know about this change...

What does my subscriber money go toward?

Subscription revenues contribute to the Star Citizen project’s development by funding Around the Verse (Thursdays at 9AM PST!) and Jump Point, the monthly digital magazine of Star Citizen. The revenues also fund the development and release of subscriber-exclusive perks and merchandise!
195.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 18:49
Kxmode
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 18:49
Sep 3, 2015, 18:49
 Kxmode
 
Derek I read your "response to my legal demand letter" from CIG.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1snct8k

"your client is now asking for a "forensic accounting" to be made available to him. . . . Secondly, the ample information provided regularly on our extensive website, including monthly progress reports from each studio, published headcounts and the like, would enable any person familiar with the cost of game development to assess the proper spending of the funds raised.

When I was a Backer I had no idea (and still don't today) how to "assess the proper spending of the funds raised" based on Bugsmashers, Around the Verse, 10 for the Chairman, Wingman's Hangar and Meet the Devs. The monthly status reports told me nothing about how much money was spent on X and how much on Y. How much this costs and how much that costs. Is he serious?

I think this classifies as a brand new irrational response.

35. OBTAINING FINANCIAL FACTS BASED ON MARKETING INFORMATION
"The ample information provided regularly on our extensive website, including monthly progress reports from each studio, published headcounts and the like, would enable any person familiar with the cost of game development to assess the proper spending of the funds raised."

It's interesting we had this conversation on your blog and in private and the conclusion was made that there were just too many variables and not enough information available to figure out how much money CIG has spent and how much remains. We came up with a ballpark of 2-3 million per month that CIG needs to make in order to meet obligations, but that was based on pure conjecture. And all of our discussions was based on, as Mr. Freyermuth calls it, "ample information provided regularly on our extensive website".

No one can understand CIG's financials based on anything they've published. The conclusion is Mr. Freyermuth is lying, which isn't surprising given Chris Roberts' rampant misleading statements.

This comment was edited on Sep 3, 2015, 19:29.
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
Avatar 18786
194.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 18:18
Kxmode
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 18:18
Sep 3, 2015, 18:18
 Kxmode
 
dsmart wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 09:43:
It's up. I added some of mine to the end
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sncr3n

Thanks!

Some of the items, however, have lost intended meaning. For example:
31. FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND WHY RULES DON’T HAVE EXCEPTIONS
Example: It should be legal to crowd-fund as long as you don’t spend too much on frivolous items like pixel ships for a game that doesn't yet exist.

"frivolous items" wasn't necessarily about virtual items people can buy. It's the frivolous spending of backer money on useless things that CIG is accused of and the irrational justification a Backer or CIG staffer might say in response to the evidence you've mentioned in a couple of your blogs. Your blog makes the point clear that any Backer money spent on "frivolous items" is a violation of FTC laws and possibly other agency laws (i.e. FBI, etc.).

#33 and 34 are good but they sound just a bit too "Black Knightish". Remember these are irrational White Knight because in their mind everything is rosy cheeks and Apple Jacks. So they might write something like this:

33. ILLOGICAL FANATICISM
Example: 4 years, 500+ people, $90m funded. Modules have been late, but Chris Roberts says he will deliver the BDSSE by the end of 2016. You can take that to the bank.

34. THE 'AMA WALK RIGHT OFF A CLIFF' LOGIC
Example: Chris Roberts says they have enough money to complete the game if funding halted. So I just bought a $280 Vanguard ship to help them out.

Those read a little better.

This comment was edited on Sep 3, 2015, 19:06.
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
Avatar 18786
193.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 14:56
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 14:56
Sep 3, 2015, 14:56
 
RedEye9 wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 14:45:
Scheherazade wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 13:00:
However, times have changed, and I think that if DNF were to begin dev these days, with how slowly graphics are changing, I bet they would have finished just fine with the engine they started with, and still meet the 'latest and greatest' requirement.

Sets in darkened corner, muttering to self "If only there was a Duke Nukem re-imagined like Black Mesa's Half-Life."

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=duke+nukem+reloaded

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Nukem_3D:_Reloaded

"The problem was that Reloaded, in its then present state, was both a prettier and better game than Forever was. So they [Gearbox] could under no circumstances allow us [Interceptor] to publish it, show it, or do anything at all with it, because it would destroy the sales-opportunities they had left in Forever."

-scheherazade
192.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 14:45
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 14:45
Sep 3, 2015, 14:45
 
Scheherazade wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 13:00:
However, times have changed, and I think that if DNF were to begin dev these days, with how slowly graphics are changing, I bet they would have finished just fine with the engine they started with, and still meet the 'latest and greatest' requirement.

Sets in darkened corner, muttering to self "If only there was a Duke Nukem re-imagined like Black Mesa's Half-Life."
"I expect death to be nothingness and by removing from me all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism." Isaac Asimov
Avatar 58135
191.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 13:04
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 13:04
Sep 3, 2015, 13:04
 
RedEye9 wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 11:00:
SC does not fall under the definition of either ponzi scheme or pyramid scheme. We need a new term.
Feel free to add your own.

Roberts Scheme
Kickstarter Scheme
Cig Scheme
BDCSE (Best Damn Crowdfunding Scheme Ever) frequently confused with
BDKSE (Best Damn Kickstarter Scheme Ever)

OK, this post made me smile.

My vote is for "BDCSE".

-scheherazade
190.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 13:00
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 13:00
Sep 3, 2015, 13:00
 
Kosumo wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 05:59:
Thanks for your reply.

So you would agree that so far there has been no particular exceptional gameplay of any kind?

To me, that is what he should have been aiming for and could have done at a much more lower level of 'fidelity' in line with his original pitch for the game. (by lower level, it still would have been graphical nice, just not over the top - his making this for the future PC as apposed to the current PC)

By him talking this up, he has only boxed himself into a corner.

The whole getting out of you ship and walking to the bar will most likely get bland very quickly no matter now much 'fidelity' it has. He is shooting for a movie like experance when really he should be try to make a great game experience (of which he has shown nothing of so far)

The whole 'fidelity' thing is totally over blown, it's now a rod for his back that is really not important for a BDSSE - it's more a sign of how he wish he was making movies.

Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, Papers Please, Hotline Miami and many other games show that it's the gameplay that rules.

I'm don't really care that much either way because although I don't really get into space sims, I have enjoyed some over the years because I'm a gamer and like to try diffent game. (Elite, Freelance). What I don't like is how I believe that he has put getting more money form promising thing to people which I don't believe he can delivied. (It's Faith based)

It's like other game makers form the past who made great games but can't repeat it now. Times have changed and just because people have nostailga for your old games, does not mean that you can make something as relevant again. There is a whole list of those people whom I can't really be bother listing but I'm sure you know the type.

Duke Nukem 3d was a great game, the same guys with all that money could not make anything close to it as time went on.

I agree.
My top 2 played games on steam are : War Thunder, Dungeon Defenders
Because I liked the core game mechanics enough to enjoy repeating it.

I'm hopeful that after SC gets balanced, the combat will be more fun. I really liked WC3 combat, and there's not a lot to a space shooter at its core. Just give me shit to pew pew at, without some imba b.s. to ruin it.

Mass effect 2 got rid of the running around between your ship and location. As annoying as it was in ME1, I missed doing it. ME1 just felt better in that regard - it was a good annoyance. Getting rid of it made ME2 feel a bit more hollow (even though the gameplay itself was better).

DNF is a great example of refactoring yourself to death.
It's an interesting case, because it was developed at a time when engines were changing night and day year to year. You basically couldn't go a year without some amazing leap in graphics.
DNF was committed to being 'the latest and greatest', and in that kind of environment, they just couldn't finish development before newer tech would arrive and make the game look old. So they started over, again and again.
However, times have changed, and I think that if DNF were to begin dev these days, with how slowly graphics are changing, I bet they would have finished just fine with the engine they started with, and still meet the 'latest and greatest' requirement.

-scheherazade

189.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 12:56
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 12:56
Sep 3, 2015, 12:56
 
Kosumo wrote on Sep 3, 2015, 02:42:

Why can't Chris Roberts estimate the time that this project will take with any kind of accuracy?

At this point, with all of the underlying architecture set, they should be able to estimate the time to build each hub, space map, station, etc. Most of the "unknowable" hurdles have been overcome at this point. They should know "it takes 3 months for 50 people to build a hub, and we've got two hub teams, so by the end of 2016, we will have completed 10 hubs," or whatever.

The fact that you agree that they need to keep getting in more funds only goes to show how Derek is right when he points to it being like a Ponzi scheme - they have use early backer money to make/make concepts of ships to sell to get more money. A very scummy way to fund development. He should have taken the early 20 - 50 million and made a more simple, lest 'fidelity' game to show that he can make a fun game. As it is, all he is really doing is making pretty graphics with not solid gameplay to back any of it up.
At one point, Chris said "No more stretch goals" and all the fanbois (pronounced "fan-BWAH" from French) complained, so he continued adding them, so it's not entirely his fault. As I said in a different thread, I am sure they'll "finish" it, just at a greatly reduced scope than they've been trumpeting thus far.

Can you point to him having shown any great gameplay yet?
Meh, AC is fun for what it is.

My biggest concern is that Chris has gone full Lucas with no one there to rein him in.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
188.
 
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released
Sep 3, 2015, 11:00
Re: Star Citizen Social Module Released Sep 3, 2015, 11:00
Sep 3, 2015, 11:00
 
SC does not fall under the definition of either ponzi scheme or pyramid scheme. We need a new term.
Feel free to add your own.

Roberts Scheme
Kickstarter Scheme
Cig Scheme
BDCSE (Best Damn Crowdfunding Scheme Ever) frequently confused with
BDKSE (Best Damn Kickstarter Scheme Ever)
"I expect death to be nothingness and by removing from me all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism." Isaac Asimov
Avatar 58135
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