Space Tomato and guest Paul “TheAstroPub” Shelley discuss anticipated updates and features for Star Citizen in 2024, expressing confidence in the game’s development and speculating on the release of Squadron 42. They highlight recent improvements from patch 3.22 and look forward to new content such as the star map, reputation system, and Theaters of War game mode, considering the potential impact on the game’s popularity and mainstream appeal.
The podcast features host Space Tomato and guest Paul “TheAstroPub” Shelley discussing expectations for Star Citizen in 2024. TheAstroPub has just finished a 32-hour stream and joins the podcast to share his insights. They wish viewers a Happy New Year and express hope for a positive year not only for Star Citizen but for personal endeavors as well. They reflect on the oddities of 2023 and shift the conversation towards what they anticipate from Star Citizen in the coming year, emphasizing the importance of the game’s direction and the clear goals set by its developers.
They discuss the significance of recent CitizenCon events and whether the features showcased are being delivered as promised. TheAstroPub expresses confidence in Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), noting a sense of “swagger” from the company, indicating a strong belief in their ability to deliver on promises. They speculate that most of what was shown at CitizenCon will be implemented in Star Citizen by mid-2024, despite some skepticism based on past experiences with the game’s development.
The conversation turns to the features and content updates that were released in patch 3.22, with TheAstroPub and Space Tomato sharing their thoughts on the new hair system, derelict settlements, and updates to the time-to-kill mechanics in FPS gameplay. They discuss how these updates have improved the gameplay experience and the potential for future content based on what they’ve seen so far. TheAstroPub highlights how CIG has been working hard on several key features shown at CitizenCon, such as the new HUD, map, and cargo systems.
They delve into the topic of Squadron 42, the single-player campaign of Star Citizen, and its potential release date. TheAstroPub suggests that internally CIG aims for a release in November 2024, but he doubts this timeline, expecting further delays for additional polish. They also discuss the potential impact of Squadron 42’s release on funding for Star Citizen and the possibility of subsequent single-player games that could help sustain the studio.
Finally, they talk about the upcoming features for Star Citizen in 2024, such as the new star map, reputation system version 2, and the anticipation of Theaters of War, a Battlefield-like game mode within Star Citizen. They discuss the implications of these features for gameplay and how they could attract a broader audience to the game. TheAstroPub also shares his thoughts on the possibility of Star Citizen going mainstream, particularly with the release of Squadron 42, and how it could change the public perception of the game.