Isn't that what CIG do when they give us a module release dates?
******Official Star Citizen / Squadron 42 Thread******
- Thread starter Raumarik
- Start date
Isn't that what CIG do when they give us a module release dates?
Must admit, Star Citizen often gives me a Spore feel.
I can't wrap myself ahead around the fact that they can't make 2-3 functioning but extremely buggy systems for people to play in. This is what I would consider an Alpha.
Well, I've just thrown in with some of my hard earned money. That now means I want this built and finished by the end of the week 
I totally understand the timescales behind this and am in no hurry. I'm sure it'll get to the point that there will be a nice playable game that can be built upon rather than disperate modules growing alone, organically.
Anyway, see you in online in my new shiny ship
I totally understand the timescales behind this and am in no hurry. I'm sure it'll get to the point that there will be a nice playable game that can be built upon rather than disperate modules growing alone, organically.
Anyway, see you in online in my new shiny ship
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2012
- Posts
- 8,077
- Location
- The king of the north!
Well, I've just thrown in with some of my hard earned money. That now means I want this built and finished by the end of the week
I totally understand the timescales behind this and am in no hurry. I'm sure it'll get to the point that there will be a nice playable game that can be built upon rather than disperate modules growing alone, organically.
Anyway, see you in online in my new shiny ship
What ship did you get?
Must admit, Star Citizen often gives me a Spore feel.
I can't wrap myself ahead around the fact that they can't make 2-3 functioning but extremely buggy systems for people to play in. This is what I would consider an Alpha.
The part you are missing with that is that they don't have all the tech done at the moment. They are creating the functionality at the moment which is what 3.0 is the start of. 3.1 to 3.3 adds more functions in terms of fleshing out what 3.0 is and with regards to finishing Stanton system off.
4.0 is when they will be ready to add multiple systems too. This is also looking to be the point where they will have the 5-10 systems noted ready from the recent interview.
Then they are fleshing out, polishing tech, adding more assets during 4.0 till 5.0 release which is then Beta and getting ready to push release 1.0
Well, I've just thrown in with some of my hard earned money. That now means I want this built and finished by the end of the week
I totally understand the timescales behind this and am in no hurry. I'm sure it'll get to the point that there will be a nice playable game that can be built upon rather than disperate modules growing alone, organically.
Anyway, see you in online in my new shiny ship
and so it begins
feel free to join us on discord, Fridays around 9pm is usually best for SC unless they all fancy insurgency..
Yes people forget that SC is a uniquely transparent development process. Sure they've screwed up and had to throw stuff away. The only difference with SC is that the general public know about it. Much of game dev is long periods of prototyping and tech tests, and throwing stuff away that doesn't work.
Your average AAA game has been in development 2-3 years minimum before it's announced.
maybe becuase that was what the company said they would do?
Caporegime
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2008
- Posts
- 25,066
- Location
- Lorville - Hurston
There is about 600 people working on it now
Maybe it hasn't because the scope has massively changed though each time they have pushed back? We have been over this. Even with what they suggested at the time it was always going to be a push. It was their aim and it wasn't going to be the largest scaled MMO even back then.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2008
- Posts
- 25,066
- Location
- Lorville - Hurston
wtf so another 7 years until we see release 1.0?
It is closer to 500 but yeah. It was 268 people at end of 2014.
Did I say that? No. so don't put words in my mouth.
Going from 2.6.X to 3.0 has taken 2 years because of the tech rebuild/build all the tech they needed for it. The whole last 3 years really has been engine building, proof of concept and getting the key milestones in.
3.0 to 3.3 should theoretically be about 6 months work as the tech is now in and it's fleshing it out, cleaning it up and first past optimisation of what 3.0 brings. Stanton system will be finished during the 3.X updates because it was originally all in 3.0 until they adjusted tech and scope of what is in a star system.
4.0 will be about 6 months after 3.3 though so we will be sitting on the same build for a while again. This though will be different in that they will have the Delta patcher so bug fixes, new ships, new NPC characters, new weapons, re-balance of shields/weapons etc can be done ad-hock along the way but it wont be bringing new star systems and jump points in. That is what they will be building tech wise along with working towards single instance for 4.0.
So we are talking around 12 months from 3.0 drop to 4.0 release (think Citizencon 2018). Assuming there are no massive blockers like not being able to get the base netcode to work as expected.
It will be another 12 months though until I think we will see 5.0 drop after that. So Citizenscon 2019 would be 5.0 where I am suggesting Beta will start. This is where they will ramp up from the 5-10 systems to having more drop as the core mechanics will all be finished and so should secondary mechanics.
I think they will be working away on 5.0 for release around Gamescon 2020 which more than anything will give them time to add the systems that are on star map.
Last edited:
I will also add that the two years prior to kickstarter were basically paper builds with they small tech demos. Nothing used then came forward after the Kickstarter campaign.
With that their aim at time before monies flooded in was the game they wanted to release in 2014. That changed when people wanted more features and they could afford to hire more staff which is why they went from under 100 people to almost 300 in a year. That was their 2016 aim then once they had the monies and the stretch goals. At this point they were still not full planets to visit.
They then had another massive scope creep that was procedural tech from one of the ex-Crytek guys and suddenly they could do full planets with land anywhere mechanics. That pushed things to an unknown release and where we are with 3.0 so with that they have only been working on this iteration of the game since mid 2015. That isn't to say that everything was scrapped previous. The foundations were laid but they needed to increase them then and that is where they really started to write completely from scratch custom code for all new features. It is why Item 2.0 appeared and why ships have been reworked so much.
The problem they had is the fidelity they had in 2012-2014 was high for that time but once it got to 2015 they basically needed to start again. So with all that yes we could have had what was originally backed but honestly it would be a small scale version of ED. Now it is a new beast and their aims much more lofty. They have as of a few months ago broken 500 employees and are looking for around another 40 hires at the moment to help expedite certain areas.
With that their aim at time before monies flooded in was the game they wanted to release in 2014. That changed when people wanted more features and they could afford to hire more staff which is why they went from under 100 people to almost 300 in a year. That was their 2016 aim then once they had the monies and the stretch goals. At this point they were still not full planets to visit.
They then had another massive scope creep that was procedural tech from one of the ex-Crytek guys and suddenly they could do full planets with land anywhere mechanics. That pushed things to an unknown release and where we are with 3.0 so with that they have only been working on this iteration of the game since mid 2015. That isn't to say that everything was scrapped previous. The foundations were laid but they needed to increase them then and that is where they really started to write completely from scratch custom code for all new features. It is why Item 2.0 appeared and why ships have been reworked so much.
The problem they had is the fidelity they had in 2012-2014 was high for that time but once it got to 2015 they basically needed to start again. So with all that yes we could have had what was originally backed but honestly it would be a small scale version of ED. Now it is a new beast and their aims much more lofty. They have as of a few months ago broken 500 employees and are looking for around another 40 hires at the moment to help expedite certain areas.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2008
- Posts
- 25,066
- Location
- Lorville - Hurston
so at least another 3 years before its released...
Yes I would honestly expect Star Citizen to be Gamescon 2020 tbh.
I think we will get SQ42 chapter 1 xmas 2018 though and then chapter 2 can follow on in 2019 and final chapter same time as Star Citizen release because the idea is that you complete SQ42 and then muster out of the UEE and are in the PU so it makes sense to get SQ42 out prior to having the PU available.
Edit: Sorry if the start of my previous reply was a little harsh. Just trying to get people to logically go though what has been complete, at what level and where we are now sometimes is rather frustrating.
With that the total development time of around 8-10 years is no surprise for a MMO of this scale and tech being implemented.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2008
- Posts
- 25,066
- Location
- Lorville - Hurston
How long did it take to make WOW?
Caporegime
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2008
- Posts
- 25,066
- Location
- Lorville - Hurston
Half life 3 is gunna top all that