Star Citizen Development Update: End of 2022

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As 2022 came to a close, development on Star Citizen continued across multiple fronts, with teams making progress on new features, content, and improvements for Alpha 3.18 and beyond. Here are some of the key highlights from the final months of the year:

AI Advancements

The AI teams made significant strides in improving NPC capabilities and behaviors. New navigation links were implemented to allow NPCs to use airlocks and elevators properly. Base functionality for NPCs driving ground vehicles was completed, enabling them to get into vehicles, find suitable paths, and drive along them.

Perception improvements were also made, including the ability for NPCs to detect targets behind glass and understand line-of-sight for shooting. Work began on "following" tech for buddy AI behavior as well.

New Locations and Props

Environment teams continued work on new locations like the rundown Pyro space station and underground facilities. Colonial outposts received lighting improvements to enhance their atmosphere.

The Props team created new assets for Pyro, including unique stalls for the station. Work also progressed on deployable items and lootable content to expand gameplay options.

Ship Development

Several new ships entered production, including the Crusader Spirit and other unannounced vehicles. The Drake Corsair was completed and received final touches. Teams also worked on implementing the salvage mechanic for ship exteriors.

Gameplay Features

New racing content was developed, including refactored classic race tracks and the introduction of the Wildstar Racing organization. Work continued on resource management systems for ships, including life support and artificial gravity.

The mining gameplay loop received updates to create more distinction between solo and multiplayer mining. Planning began for new mining and salvage missions as well.

Tech and Tools

The Gen12 rendering pipeline was enabled by default, marking a major milestone. Work continued on improving the game's engine, physics, and server tech. New tools were developed to aid developers, including an Entity Graph tool for visualizing game entities.

Community and Web

The Community team supported multiple in-game events like IAE 2952 and Luminalia. Turbulent made progress on improving the new user experience and Community Hub features. Work also continued on upgrading the web platform.

As 2022 ended, the Star Citizen teams were focused on polishing Alpha 3.18 for release while laying groundwork for future updates. The new year promises to bring even more expansions and improvements to the evolving universe.

The Wildstar Racing Referral Revolution

As the news of the Wildstar Racing organization's introduction spread through Stanton, excitement rippled across the system. Pilots from all walks of life were eager to test their mettle on the refactored classic race tracks. Among them was a group of friends who had banded together under the banner of the 30K.fun Referral Club.

"Hey, did you hear about the new racing content?" exclaimed Zara, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "We should totally sign up!"

Her friend Max nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! But first, we need to make sure our ships are in top shape. I heard they've been working on resource management systems too."

As they prepared for the upcoming races, the group decided to reach out to new pilots, offering guidance on what code to use when joining the verse. They knew the importance of a good start, especially with the recent improvements to the new user experience.

During one of their practice runs, they encountered a rookie pilot struggling with their ship's controls. The Star Citizen Referral Code Club members immediately offered assistance, sharing tips and tricks they'd learned along the way.

"You know," said Liam, the group's resident mechanic, "with all these new features coming in, like salvage and improved mining, it's more important than ever for new players to get a leg up. That's why we always recommend using a referral code club when starting out."

As the day of the big race approached, the friends found themselves not only competing but also cheering on the new pilots they'd helped. The atmosphere was electric, with the newly implemented AI NPCs adding an extra layer of excitement to the event.

Despite facing a few unexpected 30K errors, the RSI Referral Code Club members kept their spirits high, embodying their motto of having fun in the face of bugs. They crossed the finish line with smiles on their faces, knowing that win or lose, they were part of something bigger – a community that supported each other through the ups and downs of the evolving Star Citizen universe.

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