4.0 is not coming this year unless it's completely cut down to bare essentials.
I think it will.
They can't cut it down much. For instance it's pyro and all it's planets, jump gate and server meshing, or none at all.
Engineering gameplay could be cut off though.
The mission and transit refactoring is part of server meshing and is a major dependency for it so that goes with server meshing together.
Basically cig either can cut 70 percent of it (server mesh and all of pyro) and leave just engineer gameplay, new mfd huds etc, or reverse it and cut engineer gameplay etc. A lot of things in that release all depend on each other
edit: here is what i mean.
What goes/releases together:
Pyro/SM
- Server Meshing V1
- Mission System Refactor
- Transit System Refactor
- Pyro I
- Pyro II - Monox
- Pyro III - Bloom
- Pyro IV
- Pyro V with moons
- Pyro VI - Terminus
- Pyro Space Stations
- Outposts - Colonialism
- Jump Points
- Solar Burst
Extra bits/QOL/Features that can be cut individually.
The part highlighted in bold could technically be released as a whole aka engineering gameplay but they can of course cut life support(no pun indented ) , charge, drain, fire hazerd and extingisher and just release engineering bit like what we see in AC now
- Life Support
- Engineering
- Charge/Drain
- Multi-Tool Updates
- Fire Hazard
- Fire Extinguisher
- MFD Rework and New Displays
- Quasi Grazer (cows)
- Additional Player Customization
- RSI Zeus MkII ES
You cant release PYRO without sm and you cant release SM without the system refactor.
And dont forget, 4.0 is the pyro/SM patch. i can bet u a JPG ship that 4.0 will have SM and pyro as a bare minimum