Any space simulator fans out here?

[Watchdog]

The author of Wing Commander and Freelancer, Chris Roberts, is back. No kidding!

He decided to create his own game, without any publisher company pushing him to release an unfinished, dumbed down console port, and all that too early. He aims to make a brand new PC-exclusive space simulator featuring a persistent multiplayer universe, with trading, mining, smuggling, pirating, bounty hunting etc... To avoid the need for publisher funding, he decided to finance the Star Citizen via crowdfunding, that is by faithful players pledging money, either via the main site or the Kickstarter site. If you pledge before the pledging period is over, you will get some ingame bonuses and possibly also some physical goodies such as a glossy star map and such and if you pledge 30 USD or more, you get the game, which is going to cost 60 USD when released in November 2014. The pledging ends in 3 days.

Just to show you how serious Chris Roberts is (RSI COnstellation brochure): https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/c...BrochureV2.pdf

This sounds like any space sim fan's wet dream. I am so excited!

Cinematic trailer:


AI test footage (I can only embed one video):
http://vimeo.com/53321312

The main site: http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/star-citizen/
The Kickstarter site: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cig/star-citizen

If any of you would like to pledge, I would be grateful if you could use my recruiting link, so that we both get a chance to win some nice prizes, such as an ingame ship or a joystick: http://www.robertsspaceindustries.co...zen/?rid=51168

EDIT: My username is the same as here, Watchdog. If you need my e-mail, please, send me a PM here, I am a bit hesitant to post it openly. Thanks.

[Marechallannes]

Nice Trailer, Watchdog.

Unfortunately I prefer the Total War series and shooters.

[Oberst Hajj]

Sounds like Eve to me. I did like the look of those vulture looking ships though!

[Nightbomber]

Very cool trailer there. I used to play space sims in the past. They were mostly Star Wars themed: "Tie Fighter", "X-Wing" and it was a great fun of course. Stopped when professional life (and boardgames) came across. Another problem was the rule: "Wanna have a new space sim game? Then buy a new computer or at least update your graphic card". Anyway, I still find "X-Wing Rogue Squadron" quite amusing.

[The best ever computer game I played A LOT was "The Age of Rifles".]

[Watchdog]

Sounds like Eve to me. I did like the look of those vulture looking ships though!

Not at all. Eve is sometimes called Excel or spreadsheet combat. It is not a real simulator. You target a ship and simply press buttons. Star Citizen is going to be a true simulator, dependent on player skills with the flight stick (and your ship), not +50% damage/range/targetting skills autotrained over 30 days.

[Oberst Hajj]

persistent multiplayer universe, with trading, mining, smuggling, pirating, bounty hunting etc...

That part sounds exactly like Eve.

It will be interesting to see how that tie this in from a 1st person shooter point of view. And all space combat games boil down to spreadsheet combat to many weapon systems for it not to. And yes, Eve allows you to auto train a skill for 30 days, but you still have to know how to use it in combat. The skill just allow you access to higher tech hardware.

[Zoe Brain]

I'm into space simulators - of a different kind. Modelling behaviour of satellites, calculating orbits etc. Not usually very graphical, unless training people for docking in casualty mode (ie when the primary, secondary, tertiary and backup systems have anomalies).

[Rabbit 3]

When you said space simulator I thought you initially meant something more along the lines of `Orbiter` which tries to re-create real space missions like Apollo, the Shuttle and the like.
The Wing Commander, X-Wing games and similar are probably better described as Space Fantasy, not that there is much wrong with that in itself.

[Bluedevil]

I have played Freelancer...hours and hours...And I liked it very much. This looks a lot like Freelancer ..on steroïds

Looks great..; Defenitely something to look in to

[flash]

Many years since I piloted a Hornet, Rapier, Scimitar or Raptor from TCS Tiger's Claw ! My son is a huge fan of the Wing Commander games - he's got most, if not all, of them & has played them since he was very young. We watched the live announcement of this sim & I'm pretty sure he's signed up - maybe I will too !

[csadn]

When you said space simulator I thought you initially meant something more along the lines of `Orbiter` which tries to re-create real space missions like Apollo, the Shuttle and the like.

Or Activision's _Space Shuttle_ -- try flying the Shuttle using an *entire* Atari 2600 console:

http://www.atariage.com/software_pag...areLabelID=466 ....

[Zoe Brain]

Or Activision's _Space Shuttle_ -- try flying the Shuttle using an *entire* Atari 2600 console:

The training systems aren't that sophisticated. They were made 50 years ago.

The guidance computer is a general-purpose digital machine with a basic word length, in parallel operations, of 15 bits with an added bit for parity checks. The instruction code includes subroutines for double and triple operations. Memory cycle time is 11.7 microseconds with a single addition time of 23.4 microseconds. The 'core rope', used for the fixed memory, has a capacity of about 36,864 words with an erasable memory (of ferrite core planes) of 2,048 words. The processor is formed from integrated circuits (ICs). The total computer weight is 29.5 kg. The fixed memory contains programmes, routines, constants, star and landmark co-ordinates and other pertinent data. The erasable memory acts as an intermediate store for results of computations, auxiliary programme information, and variable data supplied by the G&N and other systems of the spacecraft.

You'll find 40k of memory and more computing power in greetings cards. This is what was used to fly to the Moon.

[jbmacek]

I think the last space simulator I played was Elite, either on an early pc or my Commodore 64.

[Naharaht]

It certainly looks impresive.

I used to play Elite on my old Amstrad but I could never beat the pirate infested space stations.

[Diamondback]

'Nother old-time (and still occasional, with mods) Freelancer player here... would be in on this if I had a machine that could run it.

Part of me really hopes this thing succeeds, and then Roberts buys back the StarLancer/Freelancer IP from Microsoft, creates a Director's Cut joining the two stories (merging SL into the FL engine) and redeveloping it into what he originally meant it to be... which, actually a lot of Modders have already done. (My biggest beef with FL MP: Needs an Order Anubis with all hardpoints enabled and Class-10 guns... I actually did an experimental mod with like 20 guns and it went through battleship like laser-scalpel through warm butter...)

How'd you like THIS beastie chasing you? Between Guns, Turrets, Mines, Cruise Disrutors, Torps and Countermeasures it packs thirty weapons systems all on one ship. LOL

[csadn]

The training systems aren't that sophisticated. They were made 50 years ago.

Not the computing power -- the switchgear. The game actually required using the "A-B" switches on the back, as well as the switches on the front, to control the beast.

[marcoperse]

I'm just crazy for Star Wars: I had X-wing vs Tie fighter and now I'm thinking to buy X-wing (the boardgame) too. I saw it at a convention, but I couldn't try 'cos there were already people playing. I don't want to buy a bad clone of "our" game, but when I saw (in internet not live) the Tie advanced and, now, the Millennium Falcon I'm VERY tempted to invest some money when it will arrive in Italy

Marco

[Warlock]

I'm just crazy for Star Wars: I had X-wing vs Tie fighter and now I'm thinking to buy X-wing (the boardgame) too. I saw it at a convention, but I couldn't try 'cos there were already people playing. I don't want to buy a bad clone of "our" game, but when I saw (in internet not live) the Tie advanced and, now, the Millennium Falcon I'm VERY tempted to invest some money when it will arrive in Italy

Marco

I've seen it at Lucca Comics&Games 2012 but I'm not a Star Wars fan. Maybe Battlestar Galactica...


Alberto "Warlock"

[Rat of Vengence]

This looks good! I loved X-Wing vs Tie, Wing Commander and Strike Commander was some fun too. Might have to dig out the old joystick from somewhere for this one

Dave

[Watchdog]

This looks good! I loved X-Wing vs Tie, Wing Commander and Strike Commander was some fun too. Might have to dig out the old joystick from somewhere for this one

Dave

Hurry up if you want to pledge though, since the bonuses are worth it and the pledging ends in 4 days. Your pledge ship will have lifetime insurance for the hull, which itself is great.

I have spent my entertainment "allowance" for quite some time in the future on Star Citizen. I shall have the Constellation (+P52 snub fighter) and the 300i ships. I have full confidence in Chris Roberts being able to deliver an AAA game.

[Doug]

As good as it looks I am not getting into something new, as it is It's hard enenoght to get in 1 WoG game a month

[Watchdog]

As good as it looks I am not getting into something new, as it is It's hard enenoght to get in 1 WoG game a month

Well, a PC game has very different time demands than a board game.

[csadn]

I've seen it at Lucca Comics&Games 2012 but I'm not a Star Wars fan. Maybe Battlestar Galactica...

If I want to play _BSG_, I can break out my copy of the old FASA boardgame.... >;)

[Watchdog]

I added a link to a PDF brochure about RSI COnstellation ship to the first post. It is awesome.

[The Cowman]

I am pretty much a console guy these days when it comes to video games... this might be worth a spin... will have to see once it launches though. Too close to Christmas right now for the investment.

[Watchdog]

Ken, if you can, pledge 5 USD via the main RSI site. You will be able to upgrade that pledge in the future, even after the crowdfunding is over and when you have some extra cash you can spend.

[The Cowman]

Thanks Jan!

[Watchdog]

The crowdfunding has just ended and Star Citizen has entered the history as the most successful project funded by crowdfunding ever, with over 6.2 million USD pledged by the fans.