In this episode of “Inside Star Citizen,” the host discusses various developments without the usual format of developer interviews or gameplay footage. The first topic covered is the ship trespass system, which will have a significant impact on PVP in the game. The system will determine and set hostility for uninvited guests, making them fair game for attacks by anyone on board the ship. Ship owners will not be notified of intruders unless they see them visually. The ship trespass system also extends to vehicles and ships, emphasizing the importance of asking for permission before docking.
The team working on EU Landing Zone 2 is focused on extending the new player experience to New Babbage. They are adding navigational signage and new shops along the critical path, enhancing the first experience for players. The team has also made changes to beams, tractor, and salvage systems, allowing for independent operation on vehicles like the Vulture, thus enabling more dynamic resource gathering.
Iterative work on bounty hunting is also mentioned, along with the Anvil Hawk ship. The Hawk is being revisited, exploring a potential new methodology for loading and unloading cargo containers. The host humorously calls these containers “The Wanted fugitive and stasis cargo containers” or “wh” for short. The work on the Hawk is still in progress, and the team is trying to enhance the ship’s functionality while staying true to its concept.
There are updates on other ships as well. The Freelancer is being modified to accommodate necessary item components ahead of the resource management system. The Origin X1 has undergone minor changes and is looking fantastic in its white box form. The RSI Apollo Medevac, an upcoming ship, has an exterior design that the host personally finds too cool for a space ambulance, suggesting a desire for a fighter or smuggler variant.
The Santaki alien ship receives attention in terms of material work, as the team tries to achieve an alien version of carbon fiber with a pearlescent finish for added detail and visual appeal. Additionally, the show highlights the branding team at the Montreal Studio, who play a significant role in developing consistent and immersive visual identities for various locations in the game, contributing to the overall experience for players. The episode concludes with a mention of an upcoming improvement to the cargo system, explained by a team member called Chad, who discusses the new functionality being added to make it more forgiving and intuitive for players when placing larger boxes in ships using the tractor beam.
Overall, this episode provides a glimpse into ongoing development projects related to ship systems, new player experience, ship designs, alien materials, branding, and cargo handling.
