In the “Answer the Call” podcast, hosts Salty Mike and Kronykus discuss Star Citizen’s Intergalactic Aerospace Expo and the new Argo Astrum ship, examining its features, impact on gameplay, and community reactions. The conversation also touches on ship pricing, gameplay updates, potential changes to the mining meta, and the game’s financials, with the hosts announcing plans for a dedicated podcast YouTube channel.
In the podcast episode of “Answer the Call,” a call-in show focused on Star Citizen, the hosts, Salty Mike and Croncy (cr0n1c), discuss several topics with emphasis on the in-game event known as Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) and the newly revealed ship, the RSI Arrastra. The ship sales are a significant part of the conversation, particularly the Astra, a new mining ship with unique features.
The hosts begin by expressing their surprise at the cost of the Arrastra, which they felt was higher than expected at $575 non-warbond. They also highlight the change in price of the Orion, another mining ship, which increased from $575 to $650 shortly before the IAE, suggesting that this was done to avoid having both ships at the same price point.
Throughout the episode, the hosts and callers bring up various aspects of the Arrastra that they enjoy, such as its aesthetic design, which represents RSI ships, and its defensive capabilities which are uncommon for mining ships. They analyse its remotely operated mining lasers, which can move and allow for a more dynamic mining experience. However, they also express concerns about potential power creep, the possibility of it overshadowing other ships like the Mole or Prospector, and its overall balance considering its capabilities and price.
Callers to the show voice their thoughts on the Arrastra. One caller, “HellHawk,” criticizes the Arrastra’s ability to transition its mining laser from the top to the bottom of the ship, feeling it focuses more on the ‘rule of cool’ than actual functionality. The caller and hosts also discuss the implications of the Astra on existing mining gameplay, like how it processes and refines ore compared to other ships and stations. They speculate about ship refineries and how the Astra’s presence might change the current mining and refining meta in the game.
The episode moves on from the Arrastra to other topics such as the year’s best episode of “Star Citizen Live,” future ship sales, and updates on the state of the game. They mention the SRV (Standard Recovery Vehicle), which has a feature that allows players to tow disabled ships, and how it could be a large step towards the game’s vision of ‘Death of a Spaceman.’ Lastly, they touch upon the financial aspect of Star Citizen’s funding, noting that while IAE brought in a lot of funds, it still falls short compared to previous years. The episode concludes with the hosts sharing their plans for creating a dedicated YouTube channel for the podcast and talking about their personal engagements outside of the show.