Star Citizen Development Update: November & December 2019

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The final months of 2019 were extremely busy for Cloud Imperium Games as they pushed to release several major updates to Star Citizen. Let's dive into the key developments across various aspects of the game from the latest monthly report.

Planetary Tech Takes a Leap Forward

One of the biggest achievements was the release of Planet Tech v4 across the Persistent Universe. This new iteration of CIG's planetary technology allows for more detailed and varied planet surfaces. The UK-based Environment Art team put in long hours to prepare the exterior of New Babbage on microTech for both CitizenCon and its subsequent public release.

Players can now explore vast frozen landscapes on microTech, with the planet's harsh climate and terrain created using the new Planet Tech v4 capabilities. While only the exterior of New Babbage is currently accessible, work continues on the city's interior spaces which are planned for release in a future update.

New Locations to Explore

In addition to microTech, players now have many new locations to discover across the Stanton system. The Modular Team delivered 13 new Rest Stop interiors, providing more variety to these orbital facilities. New low-orbit space stations were also added around the major planets, expanding the game's infrastructure.

Key Gameplay Features

Several important gameplay systems saw progress during this period:

  • The bartender AI received its first iteration of drink mixing capabilities, allowing NPCs to not only serve pre-made drinks but prepare custom orders.
  • A new restricted area system was implemented, which will enable features like spline-based landing guidance in future updates.
  • Work continued on long-term persistence for player inventories and ledgers.
  • The mining gameplay loop was expanded with five new mining heads for players to utilize.

Ships and Vehicles

The newly released ARGO MOLE mining ship was a major focus, with the team pushing to complete its final art and functionality. Significant work also went into the highly anticipated Anvil Carrack, including exterior detailing and continued development of its complex interior spaces.

AI Improvements

The AI team made strides in several areas:

  • NPC planetside flight behavior was enhanced to allow for more realistic atmospheric traversal.
  • Collision avoidance systems for AI-controlled ships were heavily optimized.
  • New tactics were implemented for NPCs wielding shotguns, allowing them to close distance appropriately.
  • Improvements were made to NPC vision and perception to enhance stealth gameplay opportunities.

Graphics and Visual Upgrades

The Graphics team continued work on the new Gen12 rendering pipeline and Vulkan integration. Planet terrain shadows received upgrades including multi-cascade support for improved detail and range. Volumetric fog and cloud technologies also saw advancements.

Looking Ahead

While much was accomplished in the final months of 2019, the report makes it clear that development continues at a rapid pace. Key focuses for early 2020 include further expansion of the Stanton system, new gameplay loops, AI improvements, and core tech optimizations.

The sheer scope of Star Citizen's development is evident from this report, with teams around the world collaborating on its many interconnected systems and content. As the project enters its eighth year of development, the foundations laid in 2019 should allow for exciting new features and content in the year ahead.

The Frozen Frontier: A 30K.fun Expedition

As the harsh winds of microTech howled outside the hangar, Captain Zara Frost of the Star Citizen Referral Code Club stood before her crew. "Alright, team, this is what we've been training for. Planet Tech v4 has given us a whole new world to explore, and we're going to be the first to map its secrets."

The crew, a mix of veteran explorers and eager newcomers who had joined through the RSI Referral Code Club, nodded in agreement. They had all heard stories of the treacherous 30K errors that could strike at any moment, but their shared love of adventure outweighed any fears.

As they boarded their Anvil Carrack, lovingly dubbed "The Persistent," Zara couldn't help but smile. She remembered when she first joined, wondering what code to use to get started. Now, she was leading expeditions of her own.

The ship's engines roared to life, and they lifted off from New Babbage's exterior landing pads. As they soared over the frozen landscapes, the crew marveled at the detail of the planet's surface. Suddenly, their sensors picked up an anomaly.

"Captain, I'm detecting unusual energy readings from that ravine," reported the science officer.

Zara grinned. "Perfect. Let's check it out."

As they descended, the ship's systems began to flicker. "Uh-oh," muttered the pilot. "Looks like we might be in for a 30K."

But instead of panicking, the crew of The Star Citizen Referral Code Club burst into laughter. They had prepared for this, turning potential frustration into a game.

"Alright, everyone!" Zara called out. "If we 30K before we land, drinks are on me at the next Rest Stop!"

With renewed determination, they pushed forward. The ship touched down just as the last warning light flashed. They had made it.

As the crew disembarked to investigate the anomaly, Zara looked back at her ship and her team. No matter what bugs or challenges they faced, the 30K.fun crew would always find a way to turn it into an adventure.

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