Star Citizen: $48,000 is only $334/month for 12 years

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Star Citizen: $48,000 is only $334/month for 12 years

Kosumo: Apr 9, 2016

Yep, Derek was behind the "Leonard Skinly" troll of himself just to fool the Star Citizen Cultists.

We are Internet Warlord, we are coming for your internet spaceship jpegs.

# ? Jul 29, 2020 22:54

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# ? Apr 23, 2024 13:15

Thoatse: Feb 29, 2016; Lol said the scorpion, lmao

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:04

The Titanic: Sep 15, 2016; Unsinkable

L. Ron Hoover posted:

I mean to be fair, it's probably hard to make a roadmap of SQ42 that doesn't make it look like a steaming pile of poo poo that will never come out. So the road to roadmap probably does require months of work finessing the facts.

It's not easy to build a roadmap you know you're going to fail, but have to position in such a way as to make it look successful. Or just schedule to build another roadmap later after your last roadmap turned out crap. It's all about the expectation management.

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:05

XK: Jul 9, 2001; Star Citizen is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it's fidelity when you look out your window or when you watch youtube

Inacio posted:

They did it again!

He told him to post it again.

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:09

The Titanic: Sep 15, 2016; Unsinkable

So I guess I just don't understand how a team of however many people couldn't build a 3-hour game featuring the flight model they had like 8 years ago in the whole Arena Commander thing and some motion capture animation stuff.

Like just string together some arena commander levels and play some 3D scenes between them to tie them together.

Hell, build a level where the player can walk around a huge ship to trigger the animation events.

That would probably please a lot of people. I just don't get how this seems to be something cig can't do. I feel like even if they actively worked against themselves by now they would have something because it's like inevitable to make some progress even if it's an accident. :confused:

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:21

Lammasu: May 8, 2019; lawful Good Monster

AbstractNapper posted:

lol, that's the stuff

https://twitter.com/TheoShantonas/status/1288121936694751234

Can cats not taste sweet? I forget how it works on them.

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:25

Hav: Dec 11, 2009; Fun Shoe

Lammasu posted:

Can cats not taste sweet? I forget how it works on them.

Nope, but milk solids and fats tend to get them every time.

Stopped Citizen.

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:40

Spiderdrake: May 12, 2001

The Titanic posted:

So I guess I just don't understand how a team of however many people couldn't build a 3-hour game featuring the flight model they had like 8 years ago in the whole Arena Commander thing and some motion capture animation stuff.

I assume they're in the DNF loop, where they don't make enough progress -> Doesn't look good enough -> Start over but make it better! and then repeat

But it does baffle me as well. They could have put a second team on a second engine with their resources and rebuilt the entire thing by now. Instead it's like, year 3 is a parody of year 1, then year 5 is a parody of a parody and now we're into some fourth dimensional parody where it doesn't align with how our view of reality works. There's thousands of work hours blown out every week and there's an upcoming roadmap of a roadmap?

Are they hinting at major internal restructuring?

# ? Jul 29, 2020 23:49

marumaru: May 20, 2013

XK posted:

He told him to post it again.

No, they told me it was a "duplicate thread" (it wasn't)

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:10

Mirificus: Oct 29, 2004; Kings need not raise their voices to be heard

https://twitter.com/CloudImperium/status/1288535132211535872

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:24

marumaru: May 20, 2013

Mirificus posted:

https://twitter.com/CloudImperium/status/1288535132211535872

everyone single post has the "im a subway sandwich artist but can you hire me" simp, amazing

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:25

Thuorn: Jul 18, 2020

Colostomy Bag posted:

Dear god, what would happen if the guy responsible for the roadmap broke his wrists.

I hope his mommy can help him with his baths....

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:28

Thuorn: Jul 18, 2020

Nyast posted:

The elephant in the room is: they've recently announced multiple times that they're happy with the progress of SQ42. How are they gonna spin the inevitable delay ? Laughs are coming, place your bets.

Even Hater from the leakscord was saying that they are barely behind. lololol

People are gonna be livid when they have to announce a big delay.

Where the hell did I store my jiffypop!

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:30

colonelwest: Jun 30, 2018

The Titanic posted:

So I guess I just don't understand how a team of however many people couldn't build a 3-hour game featuring the flight model they had like 8 years ago in the whole Arena Commander thing and some motion capture animation stuff.

Like just string together some arena commander levels and play some 3D scenes between them to tie them together.

Hell, build a level where the player can walk around a huge ship to trigger the animation events.

That would probably please a lot of people. I just don't get how this seems to be something cig can't do. I feel like even if they actively worked against themselves by now they would have something because it's like inevitable to make some progress even if it's an accident.

Spiderdrake posted:

I assume they're in the DNF loop, where they don't make enough progress -> Doesn't look good enough -> Start over but make it better! and then repeat

But it does baffle me as well. They could have put a second team on a second engine with their resources and rebuilt the entire thing by now. Instead it's like, year 3 is a parody of year 1, then year 5 is a parody of a parody and now we're into some fourth dimensional parody where it doesn't align with how our view of reality works. There's thousands of work hours blown out every week and there's an upcoming roadmap of a roadmap?

Are they hinting at major internal restructuring?

Yeah SQ42 has been the thing I�ve scratched my head at the most. Star Citizen�s failure is obvious, the crazy poo poo they promised for it is just impossible, and even the realistic version would probably take an established studio with talented/experienced devs working in a custom engine. But for 300 million dollars you could have made a dozen modern Wing Commander games by now.

Myself and others in the thread have theorized that the game has been scraped and restarted at least once, and I still think that�s true. I think that SQ42 was mostly finished around 2016/2017, but then Chris lost confidence in it after games like COD:IW started lapping it, so the Sisyphean rock was pushed all the way back down the hill. SQ42 is supposed to be his magnum opus that puts him back on top of the games industry and gets him back into Hollywood, but even he knows it sucks, so it�s getting constantly re-worked to try to keep up with modern games.

Now, I really do think that they�re working on a next-gen console port. We saw hints in their job postings, and a big multi-platform release is the only way they could pitch this turkey to their investors. But they aren�t ready to break it to the backers yet.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:31

Pixelate: Jan 6, 2018; "You win by having fun"

quote:

ACTUAL RESULT

I've verified that NPC's in R&R's are having trouble finding the correct path in stairs,

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:35

Thuorn: Jul 18, 2020

trucutru posted:

Get a load of this loving optimist.

I expect an AWESOME roadmap chock-full of dreams and features and awesomeness JUST before the sale.... and then....

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:35

Viscous Soda: Apr 24, 2004

Quavers posted:

I'm pretty sure that's another "Sandi's head on random Stockphoto model's body" photoshop.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:36

Thuorn: Jul 18, 2020

Pixelate posted:

Nonsense! You just dont understand proper stretching. My dude is getting ready for a workout and you disparage him for not being able to find the stairs. lolol

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:43

Mirificus: Oct 29, 2004; Kings need not raise their voices to be heard

https://twitter.com/listening2day/status/1288496725624107009
https://twitter.com/listening2day/status/1288606122660700160
https://twitter.com/listening2day/status/1288605580332896257

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:44

Zazz Razzamatazz: Apr 19, 2016; by sebmojo

colonelwest posted:

Now, I really do think that they’re working on a next-gen console port. We saw hints in their job postings, and a big multi-platform release is the only way they could pitch this turkey to their investors. But they aren’t ready to break it to the backers yet.

Chris at Citcon 2020 announcing SQ42 as a mobile game- "Do you guys not have phones?"

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:44

Trilobite: Aug 15, 2001

colonelwest posted:

Yeah SQ42 has been the thing I�ve scratched my head at the most. Star Citizen�s failure is obvious, the crazy poo poo they promised for it is just impossible, and even the realistic version would probably take an established studio with talented/experienced devs working in a custom engine. But for 300 million dollars you could have made a dozen modern Wing Commander games by now.

Myself and others in the thread have theorized that the game has been scraped and restarted at least once, and I still think that�s true. I think that SQ42 was mostly finished around 2016/2017, but then Chris lost confidence in it after games like COD:IW started lapping it, so the Sisyphean rock was pushed all the way back down the hill. SQ42 is supposed to be his magnum opus that puts him back on top of the games industry and gets him back into Hollywood, but even he knows it sucks, so it�s getting constantly re-worked to try to keep up with modern games.

I genuinely don't think SQ42 has ever been mostly finished at any point during its development, just because ~4-5 years ago they mentioned that they were "just beginning to think about how" they would handle all the NPCs talking at the player when the player could walk away at any moment, and lo and behold, as of 2020 they're apparently still just figuring out how they're going to handle that. I feel like they've been mired in cleaning up all those hours of lovely mocap and trying to make the all-important Cafeteria Scenes work the way Chris pictures it in his head, and meanwhile the people who are supposed to be designing missions are wrestling with an engine that's so insanely bug-ridden and crobbled together that most of their work gets chucked out completely whenever the code gets updated. Probably they're at the point where they're just working on pointless accessories and visual improvements and kicking the can over to the Star Citizen side by saying "well, we want players to have a consistent flight and on-foot combat experience between SQ42 and Star Citizen, and we don't want to get in the way of the SC devs on that."

And the SC devs assigned to try and fix the flight and on-foot combat experience are probably kicking that can right back. Or calling in sick for a week, I guess; that seems to buy you at least a month and a half of not needing to report any progress.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:44

Thuorn: Jul 18, 2020

Viscous Soda posted:

I'm pretty sure that's another "Sandi's head on random Stockphoto model's body" photoshop.

I would post a link to her nip slip... But I cant keep getting banned from every site I go to.... lololol

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:45

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

This is just funny in contrast.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:58

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

CeeJee posted:

Watch CIG scramble to come out with something as soon as the news spreads outside the safe zones.

You called it 👍

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:59

TheAgent: Feb 16, 2002; The call is coming from inside Dr. House; Grimey Drawer

hello

quote:

[Re: Roadmap] We have to continue to hold out until we find an honest way to placate our investors. The oversight leveled against us was fine in the beginning, but after the first [SQ42 gameplay "monthlies"] deadline was missed, they started paying more and more attention. If we put a roadmap out for the backers, the investors are going to use that to penalize the project: not only monetarily, but with cuts to our workforce and with additional oversight. Those will only slow down our already somewhat stalled progress this year. Management understands this and is doing a sword-dance around the issues...for the record, we are not holding things back for [backers]. It is much more complicated than that.

quote:

I feel everyone is slacking off right now. The computer issues don't help. The lack of forward momentum doesn't help. We're running around in circles and the people giving us the directions are telling us to keep doing what we are doing. Everyone digitally clocks in and then mentally clocks out.

quote:

The last time we demoed the game, it was heavily scripted. [QA] had been playing it for hours and hours, getting the right route [and content]. The investors wanted it live, so nothing pre-recorded like we are used to sending. Everyone got really quiet when [they] asked if they could play it themselves and not follow the script at all. Almost immediately after the controller was handed over, they crashed. [Someone in the meeting] nervously laughed. I think that was the day we lost a lot of confidence with our investors and they started really looking at our progress.

quote:

We keep saying "a console port is easy, everything is set up for it already, the engine handles almost all the work out of the box" and we repeat it and repeat it until I think even we believe it. There is no console port or attempt for [SQ42], even though we told them it [could be complete] the week before Thanksgiving.

quote:

I can say this about Cloud Imperium and Foundry 42: they are trying very, very hard to keep people on during the pandemic. I can't say the same about the investors. Turbulent is taking over more and more development responsibilities, because they can plan and hit target dates and the investors like that. [Turbulent] mentioned that they could do the game for a tenth of what [Roberts] promised. I'm scared they might wrestle away more and more control and let our studio close.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 00:59

Popete: Oct 6, 2009; This will make sure you don't suggest to the KDz
That he should grow greens instead of crushing on MCs; Grimey Drawer

TheAgent posted:

hello

quote:

[Re: Roadmap] We have to continue to hold out until we find an honest way to placate our investors. The oversight leveled against us was fine in the beginning, but after the first [SQ42 gameplay "monthlies"] deadline was missed, they started paying more and more attention. If we put a roadmap out for the backers, the investors are going to use that to penalize the project: not only monetarily, but with cuts to our workforce and with additional oversight. Those will only slow down our already somewhat stalled progress this year. Management understands this and is doing a sword-dance around the issues...for the record, we are not holding things back for [backers]. It is much more complicated than that.

drat this is such a good explanation. Big projects usually have milestone and penalties for missed deadlines. I work in aerospace and it's pretty common in contracts between companies to have penalties for delays so this makes sense investors would have worked that in as a safe guard.

This really all points to Chris being sidelined and more and more the company is being taken over by investors as they continue to slip and miss deadlines. Chris is probably hanging on for dear life and can't put out a schedule that they know they can't make.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:03

boviscopophobic: Feb 5, 2016

TheAgent posted:

hello

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:03

Hav: Dec 11, 2009; Fun Shoe

TheAgent posted:

hello

Consequences, and attached strings...

So, I wonder if they�ll start shifting the furniture under Turbulent...

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:06

Breetai: Nov 6, 2005; 🥄Mah spoon is too big!🍌

TheAgent posted:

hello

I can say this about Cloud Imperium and Foundry 42: they are trying very, very hard to keep people on during the pandemic. I can't say the same about the investors. Turbulent is taking over more and more development responsibilities, because they can plan and hit target dates and the investors like that. [Turbulent] mentioned that they could do the game for a tenth of what [Roberts] promised. I'm scared they might wrestle away more and more control and let our studio close

I want this outcome purely so that all of the people who handwaved what happened with Freelancer have to eat crow.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:06

Brazilianpeanutwar: Aug 27, 2015; Spent my walletfull, on a jpeg, desolate, will croberts make a whale of me yet?

Absolutely sprinting into the the thread like Usain bolt*

Guys GUYS!! Check it!

Star citizen : is this the way to scamarillo?

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:07

Mirificus: Oct 29, 2004; Kings need not raise their voices to be heard

quote:

quote:
It all smells like a very similar situation in which Microsoft stepped in to complete the game.

They didn't "finish" Freelancer they cut it down and still had to spend X years to finish it with another lead, the game was missing tons of content.

Basically I am not worried about SQ42 being released, it's as certain as it can be it will be released. What I am personally more worried about is it's now being held back or slowed to make it a Console release on the next gen consoles. CIG have stopped commenting on ... well a lot of things ... but primarily CIG have stopped commenting on whether or not the game is being released on Consoles and if Sony or Xbox dumped several millions into their coffers for a simultaneous PC&Console release I'm no longer confident CIG wouldn't accept that condition and just delay the game.

Go ahead try as you might you'll never get anyone at CIG to commit to saying that this is a PC only release anymore. And you definitely wont get them to affirm they're not delaying the game for a Console release.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:08

Hav: Dec 11, 2009; Fun Shoe

Breetai posted:

I want this outcome purely so that all of the people who handwaved what happened with Freelancer have to eat crow.

And Strike Commander.

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:08

Mr.PayDay: Jan 2, 2004; life is short - play hard

Quavers posted:

What I want is what CIG is making.

0 of 2 Games? :downsa:

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:12

downout: Jul 6, 2009

Zazz Razzamatazz posted:

Chris at Citcon 2020 announcing SQ42 as a mobile game- "Do you guys not have phones?"

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:13

Hav: Dec 11, 2009; Fun Shoe

Brazilianpeanutwar posted:

Absolutely sprinting into the the thread like Usain bolt*

Guys GUYS!! Check it!

Star citizen : is this the way to scamarillo?

Star Citizen: Do you know the way to Scam Jose?

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:15

Brazilianpeanutwar: Aug 27, 2015; Spent my walletfull, on a jpeg, desolate, will croberts make a whale of me yet?

Hav posted:

Star Citizen: Do you know the way to Scam Jose?

Whoa not ready,scambalam!

Wig man got a �game� (scambalam)

drat thing�s not a game (scambalam)

Whoa not ready! (Scambalam)

Brazilianpeanutwar fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Jul 30, 2020

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:17

Golli: Jan 5, 2013

Quite the spicy hello , Mr TheAgent

:kiss:

# ? Jul 30, 2020 01:19

colonelwest: Jun 30, 2018

TheAgent posted:

hello

This would explain the vanishing roadmaps and almost everything we�ve been seeing for the past year. The investors taking more and more control and trying to salvage something sellable from this mess, while Chris is slowly pushed out the door.

This ending with the Freelancer situation repeated all over again would be :discourse: