At CitizenCon 2954, CIG unveiled plans for an extensive crafting and base building system in Star Citizen, allowing players to create a wide variety of items and structures using blueprints, materials, and fabricators. This new feature will significantly impact the game’s economy, encouraging collaboration and competition among players as they establish operations and compete for resources in the universe.
In a recent reveal at CitizenCon 2954, CIG announced extensive plans for crafting and base building in Star Citizen, set to roll out over the next 12 to 18 months. Players will have the ability to craft a wide range of items, including FPS weapons, ship components, vehicles, and even large structures like Bengal carriers. The crafting system will rely on three main components: blueprints, materials, and fabricators. Blueprints can be obtained through various means such as missions, purchases, or looting, and each player will have a personal database of blueprints that cannot be shared.
Materials will play a crucial role in the crafting process, with players needing to refine primary resources and combine them with secondary materials to enhance the final product. The quality and rarity of these materials will affect the stats and bonuses of crafted items, making the selection of materials pivotal. Players will also have access to different types of refineries for processing materials, and crafting will require the appropriate fabricators, which vary in size and capability depending on the complexity of the items being built.
Upgrading items will also be a significant feature, allowing players to enhance their crafted or purchased gear. Upgrades will require research, time, and additional materials, with the quality of resources used affecting the outcome. Players can customize their upgrades to suit their playstyle, focusing on aspects like fire rate or accuracy for weapons. The best gear in the game will be crafted, highlighting the importance of the crafting system within the overall gameplay.
Base building will allow players to create expansive structures and operations on planets, utilizing blueprints, materials, and building tools. The smallest building tool is a crafting cart that deploys drones to gather resources and construct buildings. Players will be able to build various structures, including refineries, power generators, and storage areas. Bases can be upgraded and customized, and players will need to consider power management, including the wear and tear on fuses and the need for fuel for power plants.
The introduction of crafting and base building is set to significantly impact the game’s economy, enabling players to engage in various roles, from crafting and trading to establishing shops and resource extraction operations. The mechanics will encourage collaboration and competition among players, especially in lawless areas where resources and rewards may be greater. With plans for large organizations to compete over territory and resources, the crafting and base building systems promise to create a dynamic and player-driven economy within the Star Citizen universe.