The video focused on a Star Citizen LIVE Game Dev session featuring Yort and Nick discussing mission design and economy balancing. They showcased the detailed process of creating a new hauling mission, including factors like effort versus reward calculations and real-time adjustments to mission parameters for a more challenging and rewarding player experience.
In the video, which aired on June 28, 2024, the focus was on the Star Citizen LIVE Game Dev session centered around level building. The team members present were Yort, a mission designer, and Nick, part of the economy team. Yort has been working on missions like Siege of Origon and quality of life bug fixes, while Nick is focused on player rewards and balancing the economy. The episode hinted at upcoming improvements in the economy game loops and a preview of an updated cargo hauling mission in the following weeks.
Jared, the host, humorously mentioned that some community members might have punched chairs due to the schedule delays. He teased about future experimental shows that could lead to more chair-punching reactions. The team discussed the planning hierarchy needed to execute missions effectively, emphasizing the various factors involved such as collection, processing, and selling of items. They demonstrated an example mining mission and showcased the detailed process of setting up a new hauling order using Data Forge.
The developers navigated through the complex dropdowns and parameters to determine the effort versus reward (EVR) for the mission. The EVR calculation considers factors like time, risk, and reputation to determine the payout ratio for players. They introduced a poop hauling mission related to agriculture, listing ranks from 0 to 6 based on difficulty and reputation requirements. The tool they used allowed for adjustments in real-time to fine-tune the mission parameters and payout ratio.
By adding more threat and risk to the mission, the EVR calculator suggested a higher rating, indicating a more challenging but rewarding experience. The team then tested the new hauling mission in-engine to ensure its functionality and displayed the mission details within the mobiGlas interface. They discussed plans to automate legacy frameworks and documents to streamline mission creation and prevent errors. Lastly, they hinted at a future opportunity for players to engage with the mission live alongside the developers. Overall, the episode provided insights into the meticulous process of designing and testing missions in Star Citizen, setting the stage for exciting gameplay experiences in the future.