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Hello Citizens,
Last week, we introduced the Crusader Hercules to the lineup of ships you’ll come across while exploring the Star Citizen universe. The entire Hercules family excels in numerous military, civilian, and humanitarian aid applications. If you’re looking to discover more information about the Hercules, you can head over to our Q&A Spectrum thread to ask your burning questions.
Also, if you havn’t picked up a ticket for CitizenCon 2948, we still have Standard Access tickets available here. See a live presentation from Chris Roberts, and meet the team behind the game. We’ll also have plenty of activities and demonstrations around the venue, throughout the day to keep you entertained. We can’t wait to see you all there!
Today sees a brand new episode of Calling All Devs, the show answering the questions asked and voted on by you, the Star Citizen community. This week, we address questions on the party system, scanning ranges, cargo encumbrance, and more.
On Tuesday, the Lore Team has prepared another original piece of content, providing new fictional insight on the Star Citizen universe. If you’re looking to fully immerse yourself, these are definitely for you.
Every Thursday, we welcome an all new episode of Around the Verse. This week, not only are we going to dive into Shop Item Kiosks, but we’ll also release a Vanduul Blade themed Ship Shape segment as a special treat, no summoning thread required!
Lastly, make sure to tune in on Friday at 9AM PDT / 4PM UTC for another episode of Reverse the Verse, broadcasted live on our Star Citizen Twitch channel. This week, we’ll continue the discussion of Shop Item Kiosks and the Vanduul Blade as seen on Around the Verse.
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We are constantly amazed by the contributions made by the Star Citizen community. Whether it’s fan art, a cinematic, a YouTube guide, or even a 3D print of your favorite ship, we love it all! Don’t forget to submit your content to our Community Hub for a chance at seeing it here!
Im Rahmen eines neuen Entwickler-Videos sprechen einige Mitarbeiter von Cloud Imperium Games über einige Aspekte des Weltraumspiels Star Citizen. In dieser Episode kommt unter anderem der Systems Designer Jonny Jacevivius zu Wort, um ein das…
Das Team von Cloud Imperium Games hat kürzlich eine neue Ausgabe von "Around the Verse" zu Star Citizen veröffentlicht. Darin sprechen Sandi Gardiner, Chris Roberts und mehrere Mitarbeiter des Studios über den aktuellen Stand der Entwicklung des Sci-Fi…
This week’s episode features a Star Citizen project update, takes a look at the development of Service Beacons, and welcomes Bugsmashers back into the ATV fold.
For almost three centuries, Squadron 88 delivered on its motto — “Stand and Deliver.” The squadron’s lineage goes back to the Second Tevarin War, though it didn’t see any action in that conflict. It has spent time along the Perry Line and, most famously, made the ultimate sacrifice during the Fall of Caliban. It was there the 88th earned its famous and fateful nickname “The Lost Squad.”
The 88th was formed in 2608 as the Tevarin military was pushing their way through the Empire for a second time. Their leader, Corath’Thal, was expertly using guerilla tactics to terrorize the Human public and force the UEE Navy to divide their more powerful military resources. In response, the Navy reorganized its ranks to better respond to the Tevarin’s asymmetrical warfare. It was as part of this restructuring that the 88th came into existence.
Classified as a support squadron, the 88th provided logistical help to both forces fighting along the front lines and civilian populations ravaged by unexpected Tevarin attacks. The diverse workload birthed a squadron that became known as a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. It was capable of efficiently establishing a secure supply line, setting up and managing sensor beacons, or swooping into battle at a moment’s notice.
While the 88th was never known for its fighter pilots, it groomed some of the best logistic officers. The squadron’s wide range of assignments gave its members an understanding of the Navy’s many roles, birthing a culture of starmen dedicated to making the Navy better in every capacity.
With the Tevarin conflict resolved, the 88th was reassigned to the Castra System in the mid-27th century as the cold war with the Xi’an intensified. Though technically not on the Perry Line, documents released under Imperator Costigan’s Historical Truth Act of 2941 revealed that the 88th participated in at least 50 missions in Perry Line systems. They assumed many roles, but mainly provided logistical support and resupplied squadrons patrolling the borders.
After the Akari/Kray Treaty eased tensions with the Xi’an and effectively ended the cold war, the 88th became an integral part of Castra’s transition from a closed military system to one open to the public. When the first civilian convoys entered the system, members of the 88th were given the honor of leading them to Sherman’s perch atop Mount Olympus. For many outside the Navy, it was the first time they had heard of the 88th, but tragically, it would not be the last.
The Next Assignment
After its help transitioning Castra into an open system, Squadron 88 was once again transferred. The squadron was relocated to the Caliban System and established operations on Crion (Caliban II). Though it had been almost 70 years since the Vanduul had ripped Virgil from Humanity’s hands, Caliban was still under threat. The system faced sporadic attacks from small clans. Even though those attacks were repelled, it was clear the system was a target and things were only getting worse.
The 88th’s presence was heralded as a sign that the UEE was serious about keeping the Vanduul out of the system, yet behind the scenes, things were far from perfect. Though the squadron was charged with maintaining and repairing the system’s aging sensor grid, leaked documents following the Fall of Caliban showed that the 88th’s commanders often fought with Navy brass over funding and resources. In 2878, Avery Sinaga, the squadron’s commanding officer, even requested a transfer unless she received the assets necessary to protect Caliban. She was subsequently sent to a different squadron, though in later years she would state she regretted not being there when her troops needed her most.
The Fall of Caliban
On record, Caliban had everything it needed to defend itself: a vast network of early warning sensors, anti-aircraft weaponry built into the asteroid belt, and even supplemental patrols by competent local militias to augment Squadron 88’s routine watch throughout the system. The infrastructure was there to prevent a tragedy; yet one still occurred on July 7, 2884.
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It is still not exactly known how the massive Vanduul clan slipped past early warning sensors to enter the system, but the 88th’s pilots on patrol near Caliban IV were the first to spot the aggressors. A distress signal was sent, but the accompanying message was cut off. The rest of the squadron mobilized to engage the threat, not knowing how overpowering it would be.
It was only when the faster scout ships neared the approaching clan that they realized the true scope of the raid. At the heart of the Vanduul force loomed a Kingship, kilometers long and with more than enough firepower to eliminate a full fleet, let alone a single squadron. The 88th immediately dispatched comm drones requesting reinforcements. Based on the distance and response time, the squadron knew it would be, at least, a day or two before they received any support.
Commander Randall, Squadron 88’s CO, quickly shifted the strategy away from defending Crion to organizing and defending civilian convoys evacuating the system. As she climbed into her ship to lead the effort, Commander Randall told the 88th that the goal wasn’t to track confirmed kills, but count the number of people they saved, “We must stand firm in the face of the enemy, and deliver these people to safety. We’re the 88th. If it needs to be done, we’re the ones to do it.”
For two long and brutal days the men and women of the 88th fought a fearless delaying action, waiting for the reinforcements to arrive. Though completely outnumbered and outclassed, they gave everything they had to slow down the encroaching attackers. When the 2nd Fleet finally made their approach to Crion, they were shocked to discover any survivors at all amidst the utter devastation and the planet-wide flames. Civilian losses were heavy, and the brave pilots of the 88th suffered even worse. However, thanks to the squadron’s incredible sacrifice, millions of civilians were able to escape the system. The 2nd Fleet quickly moved to rescue any remaining Humans they could find before they too abandoned the system. Caliban has been under Vanduul control ever since.
Out of respect to the families of those who died, exact casualty reports have remained classified, but from what historians have been able to piece together, the losses were among the most devastating in Naval history. Most telling is that following the Fall of Caliban, the UEE Navy officially retired Squadron 88, cementing its legacy as having made the ultimate sacrifice for their Empire, and leading to the evocative moniker, bestowed upon it by the public, of “The Lost Squad.”
Wie genau wird das überarbeitete Waffensystem in Star Citizen funktionieren? Diese und weitere Fragen haben Mitarbeiter von Cloud Imperium Games jetzt beantwortet. Im Rahmen einer neuen Video-Episode von "Call All Devs" kommen unter anderem Jonny…
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Hello Citizens,
Last week, CitizenCon 2948 was all the buzz with tickets going on sale in waves on Wednesday and Thursday. Didn’t pick up a ticket? Fear not, for we still have Standard Access tickets available here. We can’t wait to see many of you in October!
Also, we were stunned by your ability to capture awe-inspiring scenic vistas for Round 2 of our Screenshot Contest on Spectrum. Congratulations to citizen NarayanN7 for winning and grabbing an Intel® Optane™ SSD 900P. This week’s theme is Lifestyle. We want to see what a day in the life of your character is all about. Lounging at the bar, dance parties, shopping for your latest wardrobe, and more! You can enter the contest in this Spectrum thread.
With that, let’s see what’s going on this week:
Today sees a brand new episode of Calling All Devs, the show answering the questions asked and voted on by you, the Star Citizen community. This week is our longest Calling All Devs yet, with an in-depth discussion about Gravlev, atmospheric flight, IFCS and more.
On Tuesday, the Lore Team opens up the Jump Point Vault and publishes either a Galactic Guide or Portfolio article that was previously available to Subscribers in our monthly Jump Point magazine.
Every Thursday, we welcome an all new episode of Around the Verse. Throughout Star Citizen’s development, we’ve brought you the latest news in a variety of formats, refining our process as we go. The goal is always to serve the community with the most up-to-date information possible, while still being sensitive to the demands of our developers. This Thursday’s show, we’ll also be featuring an additional segment, that will rotate between Bugsmashers, Loremaker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and two Ship Shapes a month.
Lastly, make sure to tune in on Friday at 12pm PDT / 7pm UTC for another episode of Reverse the Verse, broadcasted live on our Star Citizen Twitch channel. This week will continue the discussion of Service Beacons from Around the Verse with Tony Zurovec!
And that’s our schedule for this week, citizens. We’ll see you in the ‘Verse!
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We are constantly amazed by the contributions made by the Star Citizen community. Whether it’s fan art, a cinematic, a YouTube guide, or even a 3D print of your favorite ship, we love it all! Don’t forget to submit your content to our Community Hub for a chance at seeing it here!
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Thanks to a recent update to the Director’s Camera, Narayan was able to improve off his original Timelapse video and all the shots are absolutely stunning!
Das Entwicklerstudio Cloud Imperium Games arbeitet auch weiterhin an der Alpha des Weltraumspiels Star Citizen. Auf die bevorstehenden Neuerungen gibt es jetzt einen Ausblick. Zu diesem Zweck hat das Team eine weitere Episode der Video-Serie "Around the…
This week, Ricky Jutley returns with another PU project update, and Jared serves up a double helping of Ship Shape, with looks at the Anvil Hurricane and the reveal of a new series of concept ships.
Welcome to Cloud Imperium Games’ Monthly Studio Report for April, bringing you insight into what all of our studios have been working on. This month, the team delivered multiple updates to Alpha 3.1, made advancements on a variety of new systems and features, like scanning and mining, and continued development on Squadron 42. With that said, let’s get to it.
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LOS ANGELES
VEHICLE FEATURES
The team focused on two major priorities in April: one was the scanning feature, which is making good progress. The focus has been on the code-side that will be used throughout Star Citizen, including for Mining and in Squadron 42. The other priority was Object Container Streaming development, as it relates to making vehicles thread safe. This is one step toward a larger goal being worked on across the company — to provide a significant performance increase in the game. In addition to these tasks, the team provided support in various areas, such as fixing crash bugs on the 3.1 stream, assisting in development on the Anvil Hurricane, and tackling bugs in areas of the game that were hindering development.
VEHICLE PIPELINE
Tech Design completed their initial set-up of the Anvil F8 Lightning. They’ve also been setting up the Anvil Hurricane while the Art Team wraps up their work ahead of the Alpha 3.2 release. Tech Art will begin the damage pass on the Hurricane soon. The teams are looking forward to adding the Hurricane to the list of flyable ships. Tech Design and Art were also busy collaborating on the Consolidated Outland Mustang revision.
Currently, Tech Art is tackling damage passes for the Aegis Avenger revision and Origin 600i, as well as implementing landing gear compression on various ships. Tech Art also supported various teams and features such as Mining. The MISC Prospector is getting a working boom arm that carries the mining and tractor beam tools. The boom arm will work like a turret and aim where the pilot looks so it can mine asteroids. Tech Art created the boom arm ‘rig’ for the Animation Team, and will help put the asset and animation states into the game.
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GAMEPLAY FEATURES
The team developed in-game support for groups that will be accessible on the player’s mobiGlas and Visor. They worked closely with the Spectrum and Backend Services teams to ensure that the feature is as seamless and integrated as possible. The teams met daily to make sure everyone was on the same page, and swift progress lead to the team outlining the Spectrum API to support Groups and Lobbies (which enable Chat functionality). Turbulent will soon implement a stub service according to the spec’d-out API, at which point the team can implement the client side. This will allow both teams to work in parallel, which speeds up development. Once the Spectrum-enabled service is ready, the client team will replace the stub with the real spectrum-enabled service. This will allow the team to test and add more features to the groups system going forward.
NARRATIVE
The Narrative Team delivered a wide variety of content in April. Loremaker’s Guide to the Galaxy toured the Nul system, the new serialized fiction series One Good Deed came to a dramatic end, and another issue of Jump Point was published. The team also delivered content for the Origin 100 brochure and sale page, alongside a host of other marketing materials.
Meanwhile, the team worked with art and design to develop a series of templates to not only help flesh out locations and biomes across the Star Citizen universe, but provide a single, consolidated page for anyone in the company to seek out information. Additionally, they worked with design to expand the current list of commodities and resources, kick-off text needs for new 3.2 mission content, and deliver a number of weapon descriptions for new items being added to the game in upcoming releases.
For Squadron 42, there were several playthrough reviews at that start of the month that were helpful in highlighting areas that could use an additional environmental storytelling pass. Several documents were then created to assist the Environment Art and Props teams that proposed specific props and set decorations that could help sell the flavor of that particular moment. The team also completed a pass at ensuring all other remaining Squadron 42 narrative tasks have been properly identified and written up so that production can better track the work left to be done.
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Character Team highlights included revising the Persistent Universe undersuit and all the different legacy armor sets for Marines and Outlaws. The latter progressed well with the release goal being Alpha 3.2.0. The team also completed rounds of R&D on how to implement hair in a more in-depth way than the current system. The team also made solid progress on upcoming Mission Givers and clothing for the Olisar Collection.
For Squadron 42, the team worked on many of the principal characters and also moved forward on how they’ll deliver alien archetypes, while collaborating with the Weapons and AI teams to ensure they’re working within established in-game metrics.
Finally, the Character Team worked with the Graphics Team to implement the updated glass shader tech that debuted in the Around the Verse’s Squadron 42 update onto the existing helmets. They also modeled various fauna that will bring more life to the ‘verse in the future.
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Designers put in fixes for the 3.1 release, planned and chipped away at 3.2 goals, and started moving forward with the new pricing model, and incorporating an internal recipe component for each item in the game. This involves extending the commodity and resource list to make it more representative of the final product. Recipes are broken out into three major components: resources, materials and parts. Basic resources can be mined/scavenged around the universe. Those resources can be delivered to refineries and transformed into materials. Finally, manufacturers will combine resources and materials to create parts. The finished purchasable items are comprised of a combination of logical parts and materials. This is responsible for a portion of the item’s price, which will give players the ability to exert influence on the price through avenues such as mining, trading, scavenging resources, etc.
The team has also been focused on two major things. First, allowing players to quantum travel as a group with Quantum Linking. They’ve decided to incorporate this into the party system to make it more intuitive for the players. They’re also adding a calibration state, so destinations will need to be calibrated prior to quantum travel (QT) being initiated. Whether or not a group can quantum will be entirely dependent on party members being near each other, and aligning towards the QT Destination being calibrated. Once the target is calibrated, the master calibrator can enable the quantum for all aligned members.
The Design Team also added “Orbital Splines.” These will allow the player to select a destination on the surface of the planet, assuming they’re inside that planet’s sphere of influence, and travel to any known location in a single quantum jump. This system generates a spline for the player to travel on. For the first iteration, IFCS will likely align the ship when the player initiates the QT. The ship will travel along the created spline above the atmosphere with the destination in view at the end of the QT, and the trajectory will aim the ship down into the atmosphere once it’s arrived. The team believes this feature will enhance the planetary QT experience. QT will NOT be functional in atmosphere, but once a ship has exited the atmosphere, it can jump to another surface location in a single QT.
Finally, Design implemented animations for Levski’s next two mission givers: Recco Battaglia and Wallace Klim. R&D went into creating and implementing a script that will batch import the animation list based on a csv file. This will save a ton of time in the future. The team is focused on getting these whiteboxes signed off and into the game. While they are not on the current roadmap, if ready, they may make an appearance in 3.2.
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The ATX Ship Art Team concentrated on the high-poly modeling phase of the Constellation Phoenix. They worked to get some interior areas to a ‘final’ stage, which helps them move onto the next area. In a couple of weeks, they will start the ship setup process, model out the damage/LODs, and get the interaction areas working correctly alongside the Tech Design department.
They also continued the detail pass on the F8 Lightning by applying the POMs, decals and final geo tweaks. They are currently concentrating on the cockpit, which requires a lot of attention to detail and making sure the interaction points / screens are lined up correctly. After this detail phase, they will work with Tech Design on the ship setup (damage, LODs).
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BACKEND SERVICES
Server Engineering worked closely with Turbulent in planning the bridge between Spectrum and Diffusion services. In addition, they’ve created further services under the new architecture. The first is the login service, which coordinates and streamlines the initial login process for the client with the backend. The new login service better manages authentication, notifies required back end components, processes new entitlements (items, rentals), and handles error reporting. They also started planning for new services such as Reputation, Wallet, Badge and Insurance. Finally, the team integrated new tech into the main game code and continued to phase out older technology.
ANIMATION
The PU Animation Team worked on Mission Givers Battaglia and Brunt, and a gruff female shopkeeper. Animations for the Mission Givers are being polished, while those for the shopkeeper are in the implementation phase. Design also provided support by getting these characters hooked up in game. Additionally, ATX aided other animation teams with mocap cleaning and solving, and kicked off R&D on the bartender and bartending functionality.
The Ship Animation Team also took time to improve the current animation pipeline and processes, streamlining the overall process in order to free up animators to work on new feature updates for cockpits. This includes updates to all cockpit types, trigger presses, button presses, and the general cockpit experience. In addition, the team continued work related to the 3.2 release. The planned ships for the release include the Origin 600i, Anvil Hurricane, Aegis Eclipse, and Vanduul Blade. 3.2 also includes art and animation updates to the Aegis Avenger series, and new features that affect ship animations, like the mining arm on the MISC Prospector and manned turrets in vehicles. Finally, the team fixed various bugs and issues that cropped up.
OPERATIONS
The DevOps Publishing Team supported daily publishes for the 3.1.x development cycle. They spent the remaining time analyzing gameplay data and performance analytics, providing daily reports to assist the development effort. The team rolled out additional enhancements to internal performance analytics, allowing them to measure client and server performance indicators at much more detailed levels than before. These analytics can get down to minute levels of detail to help the dev team monitor and tune things like memory consumption by process, processor load by activity, and bandwidth utilization per task.
The DevOps BuildOps Team shifted from performance and stability to feature enhancements on the overall build system. This work included new services that enable more finely tuned patches, allowing for more rapid last minute changes. They also rolled out the initial stages of a new internal build process, which breaks out separate build branches to the feature team level. The goal is to reduce internal iteration time for individual feature teams, so they don’t have to wait on the larger internal builds to test their work. Dev teams have provided positive feedback and look forward to the knock-on effect this will have on individual feature development.
April was a busy month of balancing priorities for ATX QA. They helped development with fast iterations to the PTU for final fixes of the 3.1.0 cycle. These took the form of patches 3.1.1, 3.1.2, and 3.1.3. Each requiring support from QA to test the build, environment and launcher, monitor results, and provide data to the developers.
QA also paid attention to Game-Dev and 3.2 preparations. They bugged up issues that crept in while focus was on the publish cycle, and cleared out the backlogged fixes that needed to be verified. These included mission dialog and reward updates, updates to Field of View transitions, connection recovery, IFCS control systems, and various code changes to entity management.
Other projects included an extensive pass over turret functionality and starter ships to help live design identify and prioritize problem areas. The tech team tested updates to the Autodesk tools in advance of them rolling out to developers, as well as new launcher fixes from Turbulent. The Player Relations Team coordinated with several other teams to get 3.1.3 to Live and 3.1.4 to PTU. The 3.1.4 update includes some much anticipated IFCS changes and crash fixes. With 3.1.3 out and 3.1.4 on the way, the team would like to remind and encourage everyone to use the Issue Council to help the team triage and rate bugs and functionality. That data gets used to prioritize future updates, plus Issue Council participation will make players eligible to get into earlier PTU waves.
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WILMSLOW & DERBY
GRAPHICS
The Graphics Team spent the month on R&D in four different areas. The first is a new multi-layered shader system, which provides a generalized workflow for creating and sharing material layers that can be dynamically combined using the HardSurface and Organic shader currently under development. This system will allow Art Teams to share a similar workflow when it comes to dynamic wear and dirt build-up, unifying the appearance of these important visual features across the game.
The second R&D topic was multi-resolution gas clouds, which allows the placement of smaller, more detailed gas clouds inside larger clouds to provide the equivalent of a bespoke location on a planet. This was a particularly complex task because the volumetric nature of gas clouds means that the team had to solve issues with lighting, shadows, sorting, and density seams. This tech is crucial for Squadron 42, but will also be used for building missions in the PU.
The rest of the team worked on generalized GPU particle spline support to improve effects such as beam weapons and lightning, improved glass shading for more realistic and dynamic ship canopies and visors, and provided general improvements for all glass and transparent materials.
UI
The team spent the start of the month planning for Q2, with Mining and Ship Item Kiosks being two features in need of support. The Mining HUD was designed and iterated on throughout the month with implementation work starting soon. Prototyping progressed in the wireframe stage for Ship Item Kiosks, which helps identify issues with the UX before final artwork is created. Alongside these tasks, the team continued to support the Rest Stops being created by Art. Generic utilitarian environment branding sheets are also being designed to allow the Art Team to have variation in the look and lighting of the environments.
Finally, the team made steps to improve the UI Tech. They identified three systems (‘Bindings’, ‘Building Blocks’ and ‘Resource Manager’) that they will scope out and implement over the coming months to make UI creation and prototyping easier for Engineers and Designers.
ANIMATION
The Animation Team worked on Vanduul block-outs to inform the combat design being developed. They also focused on combat AI actions (grenade throws, diving away from grenades, etc.) and tested different combat styles for varied enemy archetypes (untrained vs trained).
The team also spent time on player locomotion (moving stop assets from animation-driven to entity-driven, to give a better parity between local client and server), weapon malfunctions, and tweaks and re-exports to various FPS weapons. They also continued to iron out popping and glitching with the existing usable animation sets. Finally, R&D animation assets were created to test the player knock-down design for combat.
The Facial Animation Team collaborated with the Gameplay Story Team on scenes for Squadron 42. PU facial animation polish is ongoing, and plans are in place to further flesh out the existing PU with face animation, like emotes, etc. They also successfully captured more data at a one-day shoot in Nottingham, UK that will go into production soon.
GAMEPLAY STORY
The team focused on preparing “pre-vis” assets for high priority scenes to assist Design with white-boxing. This meant assembling scenes in Maya, building track view scenes in-game, and adding animations to Mannequin. It is useful to see these scenes appear in context within the level flow, and the team is using this as a springboard to improve the appearance and implementation of these scenes.
ENGINEERING/PROGRAMMING
The Actor Gameplay Teams worked on getting a consistent structure in place for picking up and interacting with items, including a new inspect mode for anything the player carries. Now, players picking up an item can select whether to stow or inspect it. While carrying a weapon in the right hand, the player can also pick up and stow smaller items, such as ammo or medpens. This action can be done in various states, be it standing, crouching, sitting or EVA.
On the weapon front, they’ve been exploring better solutions for the firing recoil, including bullet spread. The investigation begins with what works and feels right for each weapon between animated recoil, procedural recoil, the effect of recoil on the camera, and how it all ties into the bullet spread. By tweaking these elements, the team will be able to tune each weapon to make it feel satisfying and distinct.
Another team has been implementing the new “lean” mechanic, which will primarily be used behind cover. Cover is no longer marked up by Designers as a special “cover” state. Now, it’s much more systemic with the player deciding what to crouch or hide behind, and how to use the environment to their advantage. Being able to lean out and fire is now part of that. They also worked with the Animation Team to improve the look and feel of the start, steps, stops and turns for the player. This was to make the control more responsive, as required from the first-person view, while also looking good in third person or when seen in multiplayer.
They also set up a new vehicle team in the UK to support the LA team. They’re tackling the functionality to overclock ship items and all the advantages and risks that entails. For example, overclocking engines might produce more thrust but they’ll overheat and wear faster. This is part of a holistic system dealing with an item’s quality level, wear, damage, and so on. These factors will ultimately decide how well the item functions, if it misfires or stops working completely.
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Work is underway on the next generation of space stations. This begins with Rest Stops that are created semi-procedurally, allowing the team to easily populate the PU with many variations. To accomplish this feat, they have focused on developing the tools and workflow needed to achieve it.
With 3.2 on the horizon, the Ship Art Team pushed hard on the Aegis Eclipse, Aegis Avenger, Origin 600i and Vanduul Blade. Most of the art for these ships is done with the focus now on polish, final lighting and getting the technical things ready, such as landing gear, damage set-up and LODs.
The Concept Team completed tasks for the Origin 100 series starter ships, and continued work on four other ships that range in size from small to large.
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AUDIO
The Audio Department strove to convert all the ship audio to the IFCS 2.0 system, tweaking and modifying values to achieve the previous audio benchmarks. Once fully converted, the team will review the ship content to further improve the audio experience.
Another big focus has been designing and implementing the first iteration of audio content for mining. The aim is to achieve a tactile audio experience that both entertains and informs the player. The team also further developed the Foley system, implementing material types to cover all new variants of clothing and armor in the game.
Additionally, the team completed a first pass on both the Gemini F55 and Kastak Arms Scalpel weapons. Finally, the Audio Department collaborated with composer Geoff Zanelli to establish the remaining musical themes and motifs to be featured throughout Squadron 42.
ENVIRONMENT ART
The team concentrated on the last few pieces of the Rest Stop exteriors; mainly the first-person level areas around the smaller landing pad entrances, which require higher detail passes than the rest of the large-scale exterior. On the interiors, they finalized the approved set of rooms and worked with Design to make sure their needs were met. More work went into procedural prop placement and developing the intended workflow and tools. That means they can further vary the content of the Rest Stop interiors dynamically.
On the hangar side, the team is finalizing the greybox set, in particular the large functional wall pieces such as the fuel and repair service modules. They began early material and surfacing breakout exploration. The team is also finalizing the animations for the front and top loading hangar doors, which due to their size have been a challenge to make feel both weighty and ponderous, yet open fast enough so players don’t have to wait too long.
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The VFX Team, which includes dedicated Graphics and Game Code members as well as Artists, supported several feature sprints, including IFCS 2.0, mining and scanning. These feature requirements are pushing the GPU particle system along nicely. This includes the emit-from-spline required for the mining laser beams, but it can also be used to create more efficient lightning or experimental effects, such as space anomalies.
Besides feature support, the team worked on the Anvil Hurricane, the Aegis Avenger rework, and the Kastak Arms Scalpel ballistic sniper rifle. They also investigated general improvements to ballistic weapon effects, such as better muzzles and tracers.
VFX Artists incorporated the curl noise improvements made by the Graphics Team last month into Vanduul and Xi’an-specific effects, giving them a unique visual style that will be easily recognizable at a glance. On the VFX tools front, the team created a plugin that allows them to easily export vector fields from FumeFX to engine, and a new set of plugins to allow for easier integration of Houdini into the Artists’ general pipeline.
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FRANKFURT
WEAPONS
The Weapons Team finished the first art pass for both the Gemini F55 and Klaus & Werner Demeco light machine guns. The team also did research and concept work for personal gadgets and continued various toolset improvements.
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ENGINE TOOLS
The Engine Tools Team primarily focused on stability and usability improvements for the game Editor. The main focus was on replacing and improving existing Editor tools that don’t fully cover the team’s needs, or improving iteration times for the Designers, along with preparing future Subsumption integrations and easier Editor plugin creation. The recent work also includes better Data Core integration, improved Object Container workflows, improved Cinematic Tools, improved Editor start-up times, improved Procedural Tools integration, and general Editor stability and code clean-up of legacy code.
VFX
The DE VFX team refined the look of the overall Xi’an tech style. This included rebuilding some of the older existing effects to take advantage of newer technology, such as the Scout death mask explosion and the quantum drive. They’ve also worked on effects for the upcoming resource mining mechanic.
LIGHTING
The primary focus for the Lighting Team centered on the first pass of lighting for the modular Rest Stop system. This involved creating a lighting language and full ruleset that could be applied to each modular piece, so that when a new layout is created the lighting can seamlessly blend between rooms, shops and corridors, while at the same time maintaining a consistent visual style across an entire station.
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Hurston and Lorville are in full production with the Environment Art Team. They are about to wrap up a first pass on two Hurston ecosystems, the Trash Mesa and the Acidic biomes.
These new ecosystems will make full use of all the new features and refinements that the team recently worked on with the Engineers. Expect to see improved material transitions, and better integration of things like rock and terrain assets on the surface, giving everything a more natural and integrated look and feel. Lorville also moved into full production, with the city layout and direction approved by all departments. The art focus shifted towards breathing life into the city, its architecture, and the various areas the players will be able to visit.
QA
Prior to the 3.1 release, the QA Team worked with numerous disciplines. Following the release, they focused on supporting the DE Engineering Team. They routinely tested binaries to verify things were functioning as needed before being included into the live branch. They were also tasked with investigating crashes found in the Live release using PageHeap. They often aided the internal development team with various requests throughout the day. From tests to verify if small issues people encountered were due to their local files, or an actual issue within the current build, to the more complex tests that require testing on custom binaries and comparing differences between builds. They also devoted time to Subsumption, performing weekly smoke tests on new versions to ensure its functioning as intended for the Development Team.
TECH ART
The DE Tech Art Team continued rigging work on numerous weapons: the Gemini F55 light machine gun, Kastak Arms Scalpel sniper rifle, and Klaus & Werner Demeco light machine gun.
They completed R&D on leaning with weapons while Aiming Down Sight (ADS). Early implementation on the leaning was done from a proc clip, which is not scalable to the various weapon types and scopes in the game. The new requirements came from the Tech Design Team, and Tech Art provided a flexible solution where Tech Design can easily modify the results. For the v2 character customization system, they did a lot of R&D revolving around artefact-free adaptation of attachment assets (hair, beards, glasses, armor and clothing) to arbitrary face and body shapes at runtime. The goal is to author any attachment only once for a prototypical face or body, and then automatically and smoothly adapt its shape to any player-customized face or unique NPC created by the Art Department. The same system will be used both internally during asset creation and externally by players during character customization and loadout editing. Since characters, including all attachments and their respective LODs, may consist of more than 100k vertices, special emphasis was placed on finding suitable algorithms that can perform this complex task in real-time. Another focus in the development was making sure that the authoring of assets for use with this system is as simple and artist-friendly as possible, so the Art Department can create them efficiently. They also worked on improving multiple tools for the animation and art pipeline, including Playblast Tool, Custom Normals and a Houdini Exporter.
CINEMATICS
The Cinematics Team finished a sprint to get all high-critical and medium priority narrative scenes represented in the Squadron 42 build. Many scenes were already in-progress, but they wanted to give the level design team a full previsualization export of every important performance capture scene that might be relevant for level flow/pacing and specific environmental art needs. The previsualization effort also added Trackview sequences per scene and scene status commentary. During the process, they also cleaned-up character layers and character loadout naming conventions, which was necessary for easy readability of scene setups and performance within the editor. Once completed, they returned to an earlier chapter to dial in the environmental art for a key SPOILER location. Surfacing and materials needed updating to raise them to current standards, and they’re modifying the color scheme to align it with other ships / locations. Progress was also made on one of the most complex, in terms of logistics and numbers of actors, scenes in the middle of the Squadron 42.
ENGINE
The Engine Team directed their attention on various aspects of the engine. The Entity Component Scheduler was refactored to ensure a clearer API (ongoing but nearly finished). The component system has grown over time thanks to work done by different developers that added features. The team first introduced components, then threading, and finally update policies, which reduce the number of components to update. All these updates combined resulted in complex code. The refactor was tackled step by step by making the design more orthogonal, allowing a more flexible way to control components, by for example implementing new activation policies or update frequencies.
The team spent time with profiling tools, especially around the 3.1 release. A new system (CIGProfile) was introduced to replace the previous data collecting systems. CIGProfile is designed to be a central system that always collects data (not only when it is enabled), and transfers it to Listener to display. This design keeps a history of performance data. They implemented an auto performance capture that automatically triggers a dump of the performance metrics based on configured settings. With the history, they see when performance started to drop instead of analyzing why performance got worse when profiling after the performance drop. Building on this system, they’re implementing a continuous telemetry system, which always collects performance metrics, allowing the team to immediately see changes and react accordingly. The system is currently in the prototype phase.
They also improved the full tracker by making data serialization asynchronous, which helped the issues with server disconnects. Based on similar reasoning, they replaced the std::function object with a custom implementation. The std variant works nicely but can allocate memory, which is not too bad on the speedy memory allocation system. Yet the massive amount of allocations inside std::function affected the memory tracking tools, so reducing them was essential. The implementation now has the same interface and an internal freelist to reuse memory, putting less pressure on the central memory tracking. They also supported the UK team with Object Container Streaming work. BackgroundJobs/Fibers is a central tool to move all the loading code off to different threads. They put the loading code into a fiber, which normally runs on a background thread, and when this fiber encounters code that cannot be executed on a thread, it will queue itself for main thread processing. This works nicely, as it allows parts of the code to run in parallel, without changing the execution logic. With this setup, they ran into an interesting problem. Recursive critical section after a fiber is transitioning from one software thread to another. As this is not a scenario supported by the OS provided constructs, the team had to do their own threading primitives. Those are now fully implemented in user-space (besides using futex/WaitOnAddress as a low-level preemption construct).
They also worked on numerous other tasks. This included optimized sub surface scattering (which works with small sample counts), several fixes for large memory leaks of video and system memory (already part of 3.1), and chromatic aberration rendering improvements to preserves sharpness in the center of the screen.
BUILD ENGINEERING
The Build Engineering Team started merging the Trybuild codebase with the transformer codebase. This will enable them to have a unique environment for all services, such as the main build system, trybuild, and autocompiles. They also made Dedicated Game Servers available in QA test builds for QA Test Requests (QATR’s). This allows QA members to comprehensively test and control specific things, such as Shopping services, Interdiction, Generated Missions, Friend Lists & Chat, and Persistence.
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The AI Team implemented the first version of the “Character Skill editor.” This new tool allows Designers to create skill settings for the NPCs, individually configure them, and define how skills and traits influence different stats. Stats are the way skills and traits are converted into numbers that will internally influence the code performing the different actions. Skills and traits can also be used directly in the behaviors to drive the behavior selection, so an NPC can have a different outcome of specific actions based on their abilities, and decide to perform different actions or branch their decision differently in relation to their traits or skills.
To improve the combat experience, they introduced the ballistic prediction to use grenades and any ballistic weapon. Now NPCs will be able to understand what type of prediction is required by the weapon they want, enabling the team to create weapon types more efficiently and allow more variations in the behaviors. They also improved the movement system to allow the selection of the transition between locomotion and in-cover state, so that NPCs can correctly align to the cover location in relation to the direction of their target. For dogfight behaviors, they introduced behavior improvements to split fighters and gunships, so players will experience NPCs attempting different attack strategies based on the ship and its physical abilities. Pilots flying fighters will attempt to decouple their movements with their attacks, while gunship pilots will prefer to circle their targets to take advantage of their turrets. Work started on the Vanduul characters, preparing all the basics on their behaviors so design can iterate on them.
SYSTEM DESIGN
The System Design Team was busy with AI related features. FPS AI now know how to flank the player to surprise them and throw grenades in numerous ways and situations. Design work is also wrapping up on how the NPCs react to grenades thrown at them; whether they get surprised, leap out of the way, etc. For Ship AI, they’re splitting the combat behaviors into pilot subclasses, so that the AI know how to fly ships that have specific tactics. For example, a Starfarer should not dogfight like a Gladius, so a Starfarer pilot needs to be aware of the turret placement and not necessarily use their main guns to attack. They also assisted the AI Team with the initial pass on Vanduul Combat AI. They continued populating modular hangar common elements with NPCs to make places feel more alive. This will be an ongoing process until each location feels adequately populated. They also made progress on mining and most of the basic elements are near completion. Once the elements are finished, they will combine numerous elements and reassure everything works as intended.
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The PU Level Design team finished the whitebox pass on Lorville, and together with the Art Team, began the process of bringing Lorville to its final quality with the greybox and final art. There’s still work to be done, but progress is on track. This will be the first proper flagship landing zone, dwarfing Levski in scale. They also began whiteboxing train stations located along the outer perimeter of the city. These will bring players and NPCs from the planetary surface to the civilian district, as well as to garages for spawning vehicles. They whiteboxed the Spaceport and the many hangars that come with it, since the team expects heavy traffic in these flagship locations from both players and AI. Here’s a small teaser screenshot of the Lorville whitebox:
They also planned additional content for Area18 to bring it up to a full landing zone status. This means designing the space for a proper spaceport, shops and services, as well as adjusting it to accommodate all the new content. They also continued work on the procedural tool, looked into procedural prop placement, and built a library of whitebox rooms and connectors that the tool will use to generate stations.
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3.7.4 was released live on production. This release included block list, custom roles and custom emojis. The team appreciates all the “Spectrocatis” providing bug reports to help get the release ready for the live publish, and all the backers personalizing their organizations by adding custom emojis.
The UX Teams completed a series of user interviews to improve plans for the voice/friend channels in Spectrum. Thanks to all those who participated. The UX and Design team completed work on the friends list, although some iterations and changes are expected as designs are implemented. Here’s a sneak peek at that work.
Currently, the Spectrum Team is on a sprint to get the friends system feature complete. After that, the team will test it extensively on PTU and rely heavily on the “Spectrocati” near the end of May.
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RSI PLATFORM
The team made improvements to the RSI site. New security measures were added to prevent brute force attacks and reduce hacked accounts. Force 2FA was added for melting and gifting pledges to further protect accounts. Changes were made to the Roadmap backend Jira import script to expand across multiple teams, allowing CIG production teams more autonomy and flexibility when building their release schedules.
The Turbulent Team supported the presentation of the Origin 100i, including a uniquely designed concept ship page. The team setup and provided support for the 3.1 Free Fly where new users and existing backers had an opportunity to fly the Cutlass Black and roam planetside in the Tumbril Cyclone.
Lead devs spent a week in Austin making technical design decisions for the implementation of group system. The Group system is a necessary feature that will completely change the way you play Star Citizen with friends.
KNOWLEDGE BASE
Knowledge base development is complete. The team added it to the mobile designs, making sure all aspects of it are accessible on all devices. They also worked on implementing a contact form that is user friendly and streamlines responses from a CIG Player relations agent. Knowledge base is on track to launch in the month of May.
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Last month’s report ended on a high note by welcoming the 2 millionth citizen to the ‘verse. In case you missed it, the team also celebrated this milestone with a Letter from the Chairman. Special Spectrum badges and sporty in-game t-shirts will show the dedication of everyone who was a part of the project before hitting the phenomenal 2 million mark. The Free Fly event held this month gave prospective citizens the chance to get into the ‘verse and take some ships and vehicles for a spin. With that, the journey towards the 3 million citizens has begun.
On April 21st, team members took part in BritizenCon, the UK’s biggest community-driven Star Citizen event. Congratulations to all the organizers for putting on a successful event. BritizenCon included several developer panels, raffles, and a thrilling dogfighting tournament. BritizenCon also marked the launch of the new website of JR Fabrication. The company creates real-life outpost furniture, as seen on the show floor of Gamescom last year, and the cargo crate that played an integral role in the 3.0 trailer presentation at CitizenCon 2947.
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In April, the team revealed the innovative 100 Series from Origin Jumpworks. With a cutting-edge fuel intake and the unmistakable Origin design, it is a valid alternative starter ship to the Mustang and Aurora. The introduction of the Origin 100 series was accompanied by a Shipyard post that dove into how fuel mechanics currently work and what’s in the store for the future.
On the event front, the team is currently running a promotion in cooperation with Intel. Selected streamers are showcasing the power and improved performance that is unlocked with an Intel Optane SSD. Make sure to check out Mitauchi and CrucianGaming streaming throughout the week and head over to Spectrum for a chance to win one of those incredible SSDs yourself. Participate in the ongoing screenshot competition and take your gaming setup to the next level!
To learn about what’s coming, head to the Roadmap that now includes the plans for Alpha 3.5! The Roadmap expanded its reach into the first quarter of 2019, and the team will continue to iterate on the 3.5 branch as they progress through the year. Finally, the team released details for CitizenCon 2948 to be held in Austin, TX, on the 10th of October. Visit the event page to find out when tickets go on sale and how to prepare for what is shaping up to be the biggest Star Citizen live event yet.
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Hello Citizens,
Last week we announced the date and location for CitizenCon 2948! We invite you to join us at the Long Center, in Austin, Texas, on October 10th, for a full day of presentations and interactions, exploring the current and future developments in Star Citizen and Squadron 42. See you there!
The Community team is currently looking through all the incredible screenshots we received for our Intel® Optane™ SSD 900P contest and will announce a winner soon. And although there can only be one winner, we’d like to thank everyone who submitted a screenshot. You guys did a fantastic job, and there’ll surely be another chance to come in in first place.
With that, let’s see what’s going on this week:
Today, we’ll welcome a new episode of Calling All Devs, the show answering the questions asked and voted on by you, the Star Citizen community. This week, we’ll cover the current state of things on the planet Crusader, oceans on the planet Hurston, and Orbital markers and the future of planetary approaches.
The fantastic Lore Team always expands on the lore and narrative that makes up the Star Citizen universe. Read up on previously published lore posts here and check back in on Tuesday for the latest post.
No Bugsmashers! this week, but the show will return next week on its regular bi-weekly schedule.
Thursday, we will welcome another installment of Around the Verse with an all-new episode of Ship Shape. Make sure to tune in for the latest news on the ‘Verse’s greatest ships. We’ll also publish our monthly report, so check out our website to see what the studios have been up to during the month of April.
Lastly, make sure to tune in on Friday at 9am PDT / 4pm UTC for another episode of Reverse the Verse, broadcasted live on our Star Citizen Twitch channel. Stay tuned for further information about who our special guests will be and keep an eye on Spectrum for the Questions Thread!
And that’s our schedule for this week, citizens. We’ll see you in the ‘Verse!
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We are constantly amazed by the contributions made by the Star Citizen community. Whether it’s fan art, a cinematic, a YouTube guide, or even a 3D print of your favorite ship, we love it all! Don’t forget to submit your content to our Community Hub for a chance at seeing it here!
This week, on our monthly Squadron 42 special, we’ll get a development update and learn about how the Gameplay Story Animation team fleshes out the game’s world, where storytelling and interaction collide.
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On Wednesday, October 10th, we invite you to join us at the Long Center, in Austin, Texas, for a full day of presentations and interactions, exploring the current and future developments in Star Citizen and Squadron 42.
Building off your favorite elements from last year’s event, and taking advantage of everything the venue has to offer, we are excited to bring the event back to where CitizenCon began!
Event Details
CitizenCon 2948 will be held on Wednesday October 10th, 2018 at the Long Center in Austin:
701 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
See a live presentation from Chris Roberts, and meet the team behind the game. We’ll also have plenty of activities and demonstrations around the venue, throughout the day to keep you entertained.
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Bring?
Please remember to bring your printed ticket or a digital copy stored on your phone, and your photo ID. If you have a Citizen Card or any Star Citizen and Squadron 42 clothing or accessories, we encourage you to wear them. Cosplay is appreciated; however, local laws and venue restrictions prohibit prop weapons (the Long Center is effectively an Armistice Zone) so please leave those at home.
Will There Be Food Available?
We will have a selection of food trucks on the terrace, along with bars throughout the venue for your convenience. There are also a range of dining options within walking distance. Outside food and beverages are not allowed inside the venue.
Yes. There is wheelchair access to nearly all of the venue, including restrooms. A selection of locations will be available for wheelchair users to enjoy the show.
Will there be seating available?
Yes. This is a seated event for everything happening in the main hall. Other locations for demos and activities may have seating as appropriate.
Is there an age restriction for the venue?
Yes, the event is 21+
Can people bring their own seating for the wait?
You may bring a small foldable seat to use while outside the venue; however, use of them inside the premises is prohibited, so you would need to use the coat check once inside. Please only bring what you’ll need with you to the event.
Can I Bring Gifts?
Although we truly appreciate the sentiment, many of us will be flying out the next day, and we are unable to accept gifts at the event.
Is there a Coat Check?
Yes and attendees will be encouraged to store their belongings in the visitor’s coat check.
Anything planned for Tuesday or Thursday?
If you’re planning to be in Austin the day before or after, or you’re already there, keep an eye out for updates on meetups as we get closer to the day. We do enjoy taking every opportunity to meet our fantastic community.
Can I buy a ticket for my friend?
No, as tickets are non-transferrable. Ticket purchases are also limited to one per person.
If there are unsold tickets from the first day of sales, will they be available to all backers when tickets are added on the second day?
Yes. Any unsold tickets from the first day will roll over to the second.
I can’t attend anymore, can I cancel and get a refund?
Tickets may be cancelled up until 30 days prior to the event and refunded for store credit. No refunds will be granted within 30 days of the event. Tickets are non-transferrable.
Stay In The Loop!
Look out for latest news, contests, and additional information about CitizenCon. Whether you’re with us in Austin, or back at home, keep up to date with all things Star Citizen by following our various channels on social media:
Inhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne Ihre Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.
On Wednesday, October 10th, we invite you to join us at the Long Center, in Austin, Texas, for a full day of presentations and interactions, exploring the current and future developments in Star Citizen and Squadron 42.
Building off your favorite elements from last year’s event, and taking advantage of everything the venue has to offer, we are excited to bring the event back to where CitizenCon began!
Ticket Details
CitizenCon 2948 will be held on Wednesday October 10th, 2018 at the Long Center in Austin:
701 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
See a live presentation from Chris Roberts, and meet the team behind the game. We’ll also have plenty of activities and demonstrations around the venue, throughout the day to keep you entertained.
This year we will be offering two ticket types: General Admission for $87 and Premium Access for $130 (prices include local sales tax). Premium ticket holders will gain access to the seating section closest to the stage, as well as a premium registration service. Store credit cannot be used to purchase tickets.
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Tickets will go on sale according to the following schedule:
Wednesday May 2nd, 12PM PDT: 450 Standard & 150 Premium tickets available to Concierge and Subscribers
Wednesday May 2nd, 6PM PDT: 450 Standard & 150 Premium tickets available to Concierge and Subscribers
Thursday May 3rd, 12PM PDT: 450 Standard & 150 Premium tickets available to all backers
Thursday May 3rd, 6PM PDT: Remaining 450 Standard & 150 Premium tickets available to all backers
Tickets will be available here
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Bring?
Please remember to bring your printed ticket or a digital copy stored on your phone, and your photo ID. If you have a Citizen Card or any Star Citizen and Squadron 42 clothing or accessories, we encourage you to wear them. Cosplay is appreciated; however, local laws and venue restrictions prohibit prop weapons (the Long Center is effectively an Armistice Zone) so please leave those at home.
Will There Be Food Available?
We will have a selection of food trucks on the terrace, along with bars throughout the venue for your convenience. There are also a range of dining options within walking distance. Outside food and beverages are not allowed inside the venue.
Yes. There is wheelchair access to nearly all of the venue, including restrooms. A selection of locations will be available for wheelchair users to enjoy the show.
Will there be seating available?
Yes. This is a seated event for everything happening in the main hall. Other locations for demos and activities may have seating as appropriate.
Is there an age restriction for the venue?
Yes, the event is 21+
Can people bring their own seating for the wait?
You may bring a small foldable seat to use while outside the venue; however, use of them inside the premises is prohibited, so you would need to use the coat check once inside. Please only bring what you’ll need with you to the event.
Can I Bring Gifts?
Although we truly appreciate the sentiment, many of us will be flying out the next day, and we are unable to accept gifts at the event.
Is there a Coat Check?
Yes and attendees will be encouraged to store their belongings in the visitor’s coat check.
Anything planned for Tuesday or Thursday?
If you’re planning to be in Austin the day before or after, or you’re already there, keep an eye out for updates on meetups as we get closer to the day. We do enjoy taking every opportunity to meet our fantastic community.
Can I buy a ticket for my friend?
No, as tickets are non-transferrable. Ticket purchases are also limited to one per person.
If there are unsold tickets from the first day of sales, will they be available to all backers when tickets are added on the second day?
Yes. Any unsold tickets from the first day will roll over to the second.
I can’t attend anymore, can I cancel and get a refund?
Tickets may be cancelled up until 30 days prior to the event and refunded for store credit. No refunds will be granted within 30 days of the event. Tickets are non-transferrable.
Stay In The Loop!
Look out for latest news, contests, and additional information about CitizenCon. Whether you’re with us in Austin, or back at home, keep up to date with all things Star Citizen by following our various channels on social media:
Writer’s Note: Part three of The Cup was published originally in Jump Point 1.10. Before reading the final chapter, check out Part One and Part Two.
Recovering from her disappointing start in the Cup series, Darring has worked her way back to the front of the pack. She is on her way to victory in the Sorrow Sea — the Boneyard — when her ship explosively overheats . . .
Darring awoke in a quiet, sanitized room of white walls and beeping monitors. She lay in a medbay tub containing a pale, viscous gel. There were monitoring nodes on her neck and chest. She lifted her arm out of the fluid and tried sitting up. A strong hand kept her from doing so.
“Not yet,” the voice said. “Not until the doctor says it’s okay.”
She laid her head back against the tub wall and blinked repeatedly until the figure above her came into focus. “Zogat,” she said, her voice cracking, her throat dry and pasty. “Where — where —”
“Carrier infirmary,” he said, “in orbit above Ellis VIII.”
She tried sitting up again and felt a deep pain in her shoulder as she moved her arms. She reached across her chest and felt a layer of burnt skin, soft and supple due to the fluid, but still present. Terrifying memories flooded back. “My ship?”
Guul nodded. “Unsalvageable. It’s now a part of the Sorrow Sea.”
Darring massaged her sore shoulder. “What happened?”
“They do not know for certain. But your ship went through a rapid temperature increase that ignited the power plant. It’s a wonder it didn’t explode while you were still strapped in.”
“Do they know what caused it?”
“They couldn’t recover enough of the fuselage and its monitoring equipment to know the exact cause. But . . .” He paused, letting the word linger there in the space between them. “Remisk has confessed.”
“What?”
“He’s confessed to it. Went mad, in fact, attacked a reporter, nearly ripped off her face. He says he put some kind of capsule into your tank; or rather, hired someone on your crew to do it, which, by the way, has been scrubbed. He even confessed to sending those thugs against us.”
She nodded, feeling a moment of relief. “Then Mo‘tak is finished as well.”
Guul cast his eyes down. He shook his head. “No, Hypatia. Mo‘tak has confessed nothing, nor has Remisk implicated anyone else. He’s gone catatonic, can’t speak, can’t move. He’s on something, but it can’t be detected. They fear he’ll die before he’s interrogated. He’s out, but Mo‘tak is still in and has condemned Remisk publicly in the most powerful words. The race has been suspended for a few days so that all remaining crews can conduct a mandatory check of their ships. Then it will resume.” He shook his head. “There are three things certain in the galaxy, as you Humans might say: Death, taxes and the MCR. The race will go on.”
Darring closed her eyes and laid her head back once again. She fought tears. “Yes, but it’s over for me.”
A pause, then, “Not yet.”
She tried asking how, but on cue, the room door opened and in walked Mo‘tak, straight and proud, wearing a fresh jumpsuit of gold and purple. Three reporters followed in his wake, one with a camera. He pulled his mouth back and said in a sincere voice, “Ah, I am so glad to see you awake. You had us all worried.”
I bet. She wanted to say those very words, but the strong pressure that Guul placed on her arm with his hand recommended otherwise. She forced her anger down and tried to smile. “It seems as if the Fates are on my side.”
Mo‘tak nodded. “Indeed. And it would also seem that Lady Luck has granted you favor as well. With my gift, you can now return to the race.”
“Well, then let me say it proudly for all to hear.” Mo‘tak adjusted his position among the reporters, giving them time to ready.
The Xi’an cleared his throat. “I and the Xu.oa family corporation want to again strenuously condemn Ykonde Remisk’s actions. His cowardly assaults are inconsistent with what I and the MCR are all about. The integrity of the race must be maintained. Thus, as a gesture of good will and healthy competition, I have donated my personal M50 so that Hypatia Darring can return to the race.”
It took a moment for the announcement to register in her mind. To help drive the point home, a vid screen activated to reveal a clean, gold-and-purple trimmed M50. It was brilliant, beautiful. Darring loved it, but worried about Mo‘tak’s motivation.
“No way,” she barked, pulling herself up in the tub. “I’m not putting one toe into that —”
Guul applied pressure to her arm once again. “What Ms. Darring is saying is that she would be honored to accept your gift and looks forward to further competition in the days ahead.”
“Hey,” she said, pulling her arm away. “Don’t answer for me. I’m not a child, dammit!”
“Well, let’s leave Ms. Darring and Mr. Guul alone,” Mo‘tak said. “Clearly, they have much to discuss.” He leaned over Darring’s tub and stared into her eyes, his mouth inches from her face. “I’m so glad to see you well. Please do accept my offer. It would be a shame to lose one with so much talent.”
They scurried out, but left the image of the M50 on the vid screen. When the door closed, she rounded on Guul. “You don’t answer for me.”
Guul shook his head. “If you refuse this offer from Mo‘tak, he will have won thrice: by getting rid of Remisk, by getting rid of you, and by further damaging your reputation. Racing is as much about your public image as it is about skill. You already have a bad reputation. Don’t damage it further by being ungracious.”
“But it’s his ship!” she said, pointing to the vid screen. “He’s done something to it, I’m sure.”
Guul shook his head. “No, he’s not that stupid. There’s too much light on the competition now, too much that’s transpired. He can’t afford to offer this gift and then sabotage it. He’s done all he can do. It’s a matter of who’s the best now. There’s plenty of racing left, Hypatia. Go out there and prove to everyone, prove to Mo‘tak, that you will not be stopped, that you are the best.”
Despite the logic in his words, Darring wanted to refuse Mo‘tak’s gift. On the other hand, to beat Mo‘tak with his own ship would be so lovely. But it wasn’t just a matter of getting up and strapping into the cockpit. Every M50 had its own quirks, its own personality. There were always balancing issues, thrust issues, drift issues that needed to be identified and learned. The cockpit displays would need to be configured to her own preferences, which would take time to sort out. And it could take weeks for her to get comfortable on the stick and throttle. She had maybe 48 hours to make it all work. Her burns were healing in this goo around her, but her flesh was tight and still stung beneath her movements. Mo‘tak was setting her up to fail. He didn’t need to sabotage the ship, she realized. Her current condition was enough to slow her down.
And now Guul was taking advantage of their new friendship. He had no right to interrupt her and speak for her publicly. Guul may admire me, she thought as she pulled herself up and sat on the edge of the tub. Now, he needs to respect me.
“Okay, Zogat,” she said, looking around for a towel. “You win. I’ll accept his offer. I’ll show him I’m the best, but more importantly . . . I’ll show you.”
* * *
Hello again, and welcome to another GSN Spectrum broadcast of the Murray Cup Race. After the tragedy rising from the Sorrow Sea, Darring’s near death experience, and Remisk’s shocking confession, the competition has gotten back on track and has settled into a sweet groove. From the midway checkpoint and out all the way to Ellis XII, the top racers have pushed their craft to the limit. Hypatia Darring has come back with a vengeance, accepting Mo‘tak’s M50 and taking two of the last three stages through the asteroid belt and back to the final checkpoint at Ellis VIII. The competition around Ellis IX, in particular, proved raucous, as Darring slowed to allow Mo‘tak to gain the lead while dogging Guul’s Hornet, forcing him to flirt with the Eye’s crushing tidal forces. No love was lost between those two during the following press conference. But now the Tevarin veteran has surprised everyone once again by taking the final obstacle course in the outer asteroid belt, showing a refinement that proves he will go down in history as one of the finest pilots ever to race The Cup. Now, the competition enters its final leg with only 65 racers remaining, and the top three positions held by Mo‘tak, Darring and Guul. Can these three power-houses hold out, or will someone else fly past and beat them all?
The final leg awaits. Let’s kick it back to Mike Crenshaw who’s in the thick of it. What’s the mood on the carrier, Mike?
* * *
Raw.
That’s what Darring was. Just a raw nerve, always ready to spark if given a chance. Guul had hoped to share with her a little of his experience, teach her some wisdom, in a sport just as rough on the spirit as it was on the body and mind. And perhaps she had learned a little.
She was racing better, maneuvering better, taking to heart his philosophy . . . speed is life. But looking across the carrier bay floor at her as she ran a cloth across the belly of her borrowed M50, Zogat Guul could not tell if Darring’s improvement was motivated by skill or anger. Did it really matter? In the end, if she blew across the finish line in first place, it would all boil down to victory. And that was the ultimate goal of everyone in the race. Go home a winner . . . or just go home.
“Hypatia Darring has it out for you, doesn’t she?”
Crenshaw’s face was all perky as if he had just said something infinitely clever and devious.
Guul did not take the bait. “She is a tough competitor. Like a Tevarin, she shows her enemy no mercy.”
“But she held back around The Eye just to force you to lose. That’s the move of someone bearing a grudge. What did you do?”
What indeed. Perhaps he had come on too strong. Was it when he interrupted her and spoke for her publicly at the hospital? She would not say when he asked; instead, she would change the subject or walk away. But direct action, direct speech was his way. Surely she realized he was right. She had to compete. She had to accept Mo‘tak’s offer and finish the race. Not just for herself, but for the honor of her family. Surely she did not blame him for pointing that out.
“Scurry away, bug.”
Mo‘tak appeared, alone this time, and flicked his fingers at Crenshaw as if he were swatting a fly. “The Tevarin warrior will not condescend to answer such a silly question. Shoo! Go bother someone else.”
Crenshaw pulled a rueful face but retreated nonetheless.
When he was gone, Mo‘tak closed on Guul and offered his hand. “Good luck,” he said.
“You want to break my hand like you tried to break Hypatia’s?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, my friend. I merely want to wish you a safe final course. This is your last, isn’t it?”
Guul nodded. “Perhaps.”
“And you are braced to win it all and be remembered as the greatest racer in the history of the sport. For that, I wish you good luck.”
Guul took the handshake reluctantly. Mo‘tak’s fingers were firm but not vise-like. He moved until he was beside the Tevarin. Mo‘tak placed his free hand on Guul’s back.
“Look at it all one last time, Zogat. All of it. The bay, the racers, the media, the hustle and bustle of the crews. You will miss it. But I think you will miss that young lady right there most of all.”
Before Guul had a chance to speak, Mo‘tak pushed his hand hard against the Tevarin’s neck.
Guul felt a slight pinch and jerked away. A warm flush spread across his skin. “What did you do?”
Mo‘tak maintained his composure and kept looking forward as if they were having a pleasant conversation. “To win against racers as skilled as yourself and Darring will be quite the honor,” he said, as the media crowded around once more. “Good luck out there, old friend.”
Guul rubbed his neck. The Xi’an had done something to him, but Mo’tak had again done his scheming in such a way that left very little evidence. Perhaps if Guul called the MCR authorities over now, they could find something, but more likely his accusations would prove to be unfounded. He looked out at everyone suiting up, strapping in, readying for the final course. He could choose not to race. If Mo’tak had drugged him as he suspected, then it would be quite dangerous to climb into his cockpit. But he quickly shoved the thought aside. He couldn’t get out now, not when the end was so close. It wasn’t in him. He had to take his own advice. He had to finish the race.
He looked across the bay floor, toward Darring. She was putting on her helmet, getting ready to climb into her cockpit. He tried catching her attention with a wave. She did not see him, or she was ignoring him. Whatever the reason, he was grateful that he had had an opportunity in the twilight of his career to race against such a warrior, such a competitor as she.
Speed is life, he thought as he put on his helmet with shaking hands. But as always, speed also might mean death.
* * *
Guul was just ahead of her, Mo‘tak at her six. She was perfectly placed to take advantage of the Tevarin’s erratic behavior. He had been speeding up, slowing down, speeding up, as if unsure what to do. Or perhaps he was playing with her, working to sap her resolve, force her to slow down and deal with his uncharacteristic movements, thus giving the lead away to Mo‘tak. But that was silly. Guul did not want the ruthless Xi’an to win any more than she did. So, what was his game?
They raced in high orbit above Ellis VIII. The final stretch was a long, loping crazy-eight of rings that flashed brilliant reds and greens and whites, keeping a tempo with the natural flow of the racers as they shot past one another near the intersect. It was a dangerous place, for racers coming out of those rings could slam into one another and ricochet into space. Even if your ship survived, the time it would take to recover from such a collision would be race-ending.
Two orbital grandstands just outside the course held spectators and prominent dignitaries that had come out to see and share in the glory of the winner. The MCR allowed the energy and excitement of the crowds to be broadcast into the cockpits of each racer as GSN announcers gave the minute-by-minute account of the final laps. Some racers thrived on the energy of the crowds. Some reveled in the noise. Darring muted it all, preferring instead to concentrate on the racers around her.
She maneuvered her M50 to the right of Guul, taking advantage of the loop. He swung his Hornet out a touch too far, and she slipped right in beside him. His wing grazed the invisible walls of the ring course, letting the tip of it cut through the barrier like a shark’s fin cresting a wave. He’d lose time for that, but he didn’t seem to care, keeping his craft pressed against the loop to ride it all the way around. He’s getting old, she thought, letting a smile slip across her lips. Can’t handle the rigors of such a sharp turn anymore. Then she thought better of gloating. She wanted to beat him, to make him see her as a racer, an equal, not as a puppy dog to counsel. But she didn’t want him to leave the race. There was still plenty of track left, plenty of twists and turns, and Mo‘tak was right on them.
The Xi’an thrust his 350r down to run right below her belly, preventing an interloper behind him in a souped-up Avenger from making a move. Darring banked to the right and felt the tug of strong G’s despite being held tightly in the chair. Her skin had healed well and there was a little pain in her shoulders, but such a move reminded her of the frailty of flesh and her own mortality. Bank too strongly, and you could pass out.
“You’re not winning this one, Mo‘tak,” she said into her comm. Only her crew chief could hear it, but he shared her sentiment. He gave her directions which she accepted and moved her craft to the left as they cleared the loop and headed for the final intersect.
Guul came up to her side again, but he was still moving oddly, letting his wings wobble on the rebalance. She shook her head and focused on Mo‘tak, who had gunned his engine, showing significant burn out of his exhaust nozzles. He wouldn’t dare cross her cockpit now, not with the MCR looking on so intently. In fact, Mo‘tak had acted reasonably well since his vanity display at the hospital. He’d let his racing skills speak for themselves. So perhaps he wasn’t such a rotten son-of-a bitch after all. But she wouldn’t be keeping his gift after the race.
Red blips danced on her radar, showing hazards as she crossed the intersect.
She drifted up in the lane, taking the traditional approach for a right-side cross. Mo‘tak followed, but Guul struggled to drift up, taking too long, letting his craft fall behind once more. She fought the urge to link into his comm. Mo‘tak tried to force her down. She gripped her stick and moved with him, not letting him gain advantage. The blips on the screen grew brighter. She keyed her focus, thrust her M50 forward and sailed into the intersect.
Lagging ships flew past her at the right angle, trying desperately to keep up with the pack. One nearly clipped her wing. She banked left just in time. She tried finding Guul and Mo‘tak in the flurry of crimson blips on her screen. It was impossible. She banked left, right, left again, swirling through screaming racers.
Darring flew out of the intersect, righted her ship once more, and prepared for the final run. She checked her radar. The madness there settled to show those that had gotten through and were in pursuit. Damn! Mo‘tak settled again beside her, and Guul was not far behind, though struggling still. Why can’t I shake these bastards?
Finally, Guul made the move she was expecting. The Tevarin thrust his Hornet forward, clipping between her and Mo‘tak at such velocity that he was nothing but a blur. Her heart raced alongside him. She gunned her engine, falling just behind him, watching as the blips on her radar were replaced by the long green pulsing line of the final straightaway. She could hardly contain her excitement. She, Hypatia Darring, in second place on the final lap around Ellis VIII. The perfect position to make a final move and win it all. And there was Zogat Guul, the master, egging her on, forcing her to put away her silly feud and chase him, chase him for glory, for fame, for personal fulfillment. A laugh of pure joy escape her lips.
Speed is life.
They hit the final stretch together. One full lap around rocky Ellis VIII. Full bore speed. There was nothing like it in the galaxy. She could not contain her excitement. She screamed into her comm. Mo‘tak tried to muscle his way into her space. She refused him. He tried again. She pushed her M50 even faster, keeping pace with Guul, letting the green lights of the radar draw her forward.
Guul slowed, fell alongside her, slowed again, letting her take the lead. Bullshit, she thought, frustration growing as she punched a panel and said to him, “What the hell are you doing?”
She was greeted with coughing, spitting and moans. Something was terribly wrong. “I’m glad to speak to you once more, Hypatia.”
“Do you remember what you told me? What you made me promise? If I were in a position to win, I’d win. And now here you are, about to win, and you’re falling back. Explain.”
Guul coughed. It sounded thick, bloody. “It isn’t important that I win, Hypatia. I’ve won enough in my life. It’s time for others to shine. It’s time for you to shine. Now, go beat him. And remember what I told you.”
He cut their link. Darring shouted, but he was gone. Guul fell back, and back, until she could not see him anymore.
Mo‘tak pounced and took the lead. Shit! She gunned it, moved down in the lane, set her craft just below Mo‘tak’s. The sleek, long body of his 350r shadowing her smaller M50. There was no doubt his craft had the endurance; in a rough and tumble, he’d prevail. She had to get out from his shadow, his influence. The only way to do that . . .
She tried pushing her plant, thumbed the throttle hard, but it did not register. She tried again. Her dashboard controls blinked, once, twice, then resettled with different settings, measurements, displays. What the —
“How’s my ship?”
Darring’s heart sank. “Mo‘tak!”
“It is indeed,” he said, his voice fuzzy over the comm, “and now that I have your undivided attention, I will reclaim what is mine.”
Nothing she did registered. She tapped panels, flicked switches, tried raising an MCR official over the comm. Everything was null, but her ship responded quickly to Mo‘tak’s remote commands. He banked to the left; she did the same. He banked right, she followed. The Xi’an finally settled his 350r beside her, waved smugly at her through his cockpit window, commanded her ship to move slightly ahead, then said, “I’ll let you take the lead for a little while, my dear, then I’ll dramatically pull forward at the last minute, flying on to victory, while you spiral out of control, hitting the royal grandstand and killing dozens. You’ll be remembered as the Butcher of Ellis.”
She pushed and prodded at the stick, banged at the dashboard. She even struck the eject controls. Nothing. “I’ll kill you first, you sorry son of a bitch.”
“And how will you do that, my dear? You have no control over anything . . . and your Tevarin is gone.”
As if on cue, a bright streak soared past them both, a flush of red and gold nozzle fire. It was burning, its power plant pushed beyond integrity. Darring squinted to see who it was. She recognized the blue Tevarin lettering on the hull.
Guul.
His Hornet barreled ahead, all flame and fury. Darring could hear Mo‘tak curse beneath his breath. She tried again to take control of her stick. Nothing. She tried calling out to Guul, but all she could hear was Mo‘tak’s agitated mumblings as he commanded her ship to move up and ahead of him. Darring watched intently as Guul flipped his burning craft around, shifted it to align perfectly with her own, and headed straight for her.
Her comm crackled with another voice. “Move!” it said, ragged, faint. “Dive! Dive!”
“I can’t!” she screamed back, but there was no response. Only Mo‘tak’s maddening cackle could be heard. “Say to him whatever you wish. He cannot hear you.”
Guul banked left. Darring’s ship moved to shadow the Hornet. He banked right; she banked in kind. Guul’s weakening voice continued pleading for her to get out of the way. Tears streamed down her face; her voice broke from exertion. Mo‘tak laughed and laughed.
Her ship spun like a cork-screw on its long axis. She closed her eyes, waited for impact, whispering softly to Guul, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry . . .”
Then she remembered.
Beneath the dashboard of every M50 lay a panel, and inside it, a power cut-off valve independent of the main electrical and command systems. Could Mo‘tak have forgotten it? He might have, so foolishly overconfident in his scheming and backstabbing, and spending too much time in his 350r to remember all the systems of his secondary ship. But it might be: A mistake . . . finally.
Through the dizzying haze of her spinning, she reached beneath the dash, found the panel with shaking fingers, ripped it open, and pulled the valve.
“You lose, Mo‘tak!”
The power plant died, and with that sudden lack of propulsion her ship spun to port. Zogat Guul slipped right past her, hitting Mo‘tak’s ship square in the front, exploding on impact, and sending their shattered, burning hulls into the void.
The cockpit came alive, her stick again responsive. She pulled her ship out of spin, reignited the plant, and blew across the finish line ahead of all others.
Her pit crew went wild, matching her own screaming, but for different reasons. They were joyous, elated, happy that their racer — the youngest Human to ever win the MCR — had just done so, and in a blaze of glory. They were happy, and they deserved to be.
She was not. Oh, she was happy to have won, to have taken the Cup, to have proven to her father that her choice in career was not foolish. She laid her head back into her chair and cried. Cried joyous tears for Guul. She understood fully now his words, echoing loudly in her mind. Speed is life, and there was no life without speed. She understood that now.
The Cup was just one race in a thousand that lay ahead of her, and there would be no true happiness until she had raced them all and chased down that beast that lay in front of her, that lay in front of all racers. In his fiery death, Zogat Guul had finally caught the beast. Now, it was her turn to chase it, and she would do so for him, for Guul . . . forever.
Beyond the finish line, beyond the grandstands, beyond the accolades and cheering fans, Hypatia Darring gunned her power plant and kept racing.
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Hello Citizens,
I hope you all had a great weekend – I know those of you who attended BritizenCon sure did! Those from the team who were fortunate enough to attend have not stopped talking about how much fun they had, so congratulations to all the organizers who put on such a successful community organized event.
With that, let’s see what’s going on this week:
Are you looking to upgrade your battlestation? Over the next week, we want to see your screenshots highlighting epic space combat as you fight your way through the ‘Verse. Your battles, victories, explosions, funny moments, we want to see it all. The winning screenshot will recieve a new Intel® Optane™ SSD 900P, courtesy of Intel. Check out all the details here.
Today also sees a new episode of Calling All Devs, the show dedicated to answering the community’s most voted questions. This week, we address questions on racing in the PU and Arena Commander, NPCs flying on trade routes, the future of the RSI Roadmap, and more. You can watch the full episode here.
Every Tuesday, our Lore Team published something new to embolden the Star Citizen universe, and this week is no exception. If truly you can’t wait until tomorrow, you can check out previously published lore posts here.
Wednesday will introduce another episode of ‘Bugsmashers!’ where yet another pesky Star Citizen bug is SQUASHED.
What’s that I hear? A Squadron 42 themed episode of ATV? That’s right! Thursday will welcome an all-new episode of Around the Verse with the latest info from the Development teams around the globe. Don’t miss it!
Lastly, on Friday we’ll wrap up the week with the April Subscriber’s Town Hall. Topic and guests are still tentative, so keep a keen eye on Spectrum for an update soon.
That’s all for this week, citizens. We’ll see you in the ‘Verse!
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We are constantly amazed by the contributions made by the Star Citizen community. Whether it’s fan art, a cinematic, a YouTube guide, or even a 3D print of your favorite ship, we love it all! Don’t forget to submit your content to our Community Hub for a chance at seeing it here!
Spieledesigner Chris Roberts hat Grund zur Freude, denn sein kommendes Weltraum-MMORPG Star Citizen konnte jüngst die Schwelle der zwei Millionen Backer überschreiten. Die Entwickler bedanken sich bei den Unterstützern und sind froh, dass sie zeigen…
This week, we look forward to Alpha 3.2 with a PU project update looking at the current Roadmap, and explore a feature that recently debuted in 3.1, the Character Customizer. As mentioned in the episode, check out officially licensed Star Citizen merchandise at https://www.jrfabrication.co.uk/
Umar was quickly realizing just how difficult it was to focus on doing repairs when you have a gun aimed at your head. Of course, it should have been obvious from the start that being held hostage would be stressful, but it was one of those truths that doesn’t completely sink in until you experience it first hand. Sort of like how those ‘Slippery When Wet’ caution signs seemed redundant until you were skidding around in a rainstorm.
“Easy on the comms,” instructed Umar’s captor in a steady, even clip. “This is just a normal emergency repair, right?” The man might as well have been casually asking Umar to pass nuoc cham, for all the current situation seemed to be stressing him.
“Right.” Just your normal, everyday emergency repair where someone has hijacked your ship and is looming right behind your terminal in case they need to put a plasma bolt through your brain. Totally normal.
Umar took a deep breath and pushed all that aside. He needed to focus. His life wasn’t the only one hanging in the balance. With a practiced few presses on the console, Umar launched the repair drone Shake towards the source of the emergency beacon — a Terrapin, adrift and giving off a worryingly high IR signature.
With the drone en route, Umar hailed the Terrapin with his most professional, calming voice. “Dr. Hostan? This is Umar from In-A-Fix.”
The response came immediately. “Power plant’s experiencing a critical cascade and my coolers are about to give,” reported Dr. Hostan, breathing heavily. The temperature must have been unbearable inside the craft. Even wearing a protective suit and helmet, her hair was plastered with sweat to her head. “Geiger’s ticking fast and loud. I don’t think there’s much time.”
Umar appreciated the doc’s information efficiency. He didn’t blame people when they panicked in an emergency, but it sure did help when they kept their heads. It gave him an extra tool to work with rather than an extra problem to solve.
“Drone’s almost there. As soon as the full diagnostic scan is done, we’ll know what’s causing the cascade. In the meanwhile, I’m gonna have you do a full flush on your coolers. It won’t do much, but it’ll buy us some time.”
“Just tell me what to do.”
Umar began walking her through the process to circumvent the coolers’ safety protocols. The doc was an apt pupil and it wasn’t long before she had managed the tricky manual override. The maneuver was one that his boss, Jess, had taught him when he was first starting out. A fine example of the philosophy, “sometimes you got to break a ship even more if you want to fix it.” If they got the Terrapin up and running again, the coolers would have severely limited functionality compared to their normal operating parameters. But that was a problem for later. The first priority was not exploding.
“The temp’s dropping a bit,” said Dr. Hostan, clearly relieved. “You’re a miracle worker.”
“Naw, Doc. You did all the heavy lifting,” replied Umar. A pop-up on the terminal indicated a new data-packet had arrived. “Looks like the diag scan just came in, so I’m gonna have you drink a hydro-gel real quick while I go over the data. Don’t want you passing out on me.”
As Dr. Hostan turned to find a gel pack to feed into her suit, Umar silenced his audio and video while still listening in on the channel.
“That was a neat little trick,” said the shipjacker once the comm had been muted.
“Yeah,” said Umar, distracted as he pored over the report that Shake’s scanners had sent back.
“I mean you probably just saved her life and what? You’re getting your standard repair rate for this?”
“You mind not talking? I’m trying to figure out how —” Umar let the sentence hang there as he frantically cross-checked the numbers he had gotten from Shake.
“What is it?” Asked the shipjacker, leaning over the terminal to look.
“Grab that datapad,” said Umar, gesturing to where a clunky three-gen-old model was strapped to the wall. “Open up the DayBreak power plant manual. Should be right there in the folder.”
If Umar had been watching instead of directing Shake to do a deeper scan on the Terrapin’s axial power conduit, he would have seen the jacker hesitate. Using the datapad would mean having to holster his weapon. Keeping a wary eye on Umar to make sure this wasn’t a ploy, the man stowed his pistol and pulled the datapad free. After it booted, he found and opened the manual. “Okay, now what?”
“Here,” said Umar as he grabbed the pad. Scrolling, he found the section he was looking for and quickly read it. Then, cursing under his breath, he read it again.
“Enough,” said the jacker. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Umar tossed the datapad down onto the console. “You know anything about reactors?”
“Just enough not to touch one.”
“Then the short version is, thanks to the geniuses at Sakura Sun, the good doctor is pretty well and properly screwed. See …,” said Umar as he rotated the scans of the Terrapin displayed on the terminal. “The DayBreak was designed with these so-called performance improvements that will most likely make the power plant overload faster if I try to fix the problem. And not doing anything isn’t an option since the whole thing’s gonna blow in a few minutes anyway. So, yeah. Screwed.”
“Damn,” replied the jacker, leaning in to look closer. He pointed to the axial conduit. “And if you try to bypass it, these backups will just kick in.”
Umar raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised at his captor’s quick grasp of the issue. “Yeah, that’s right. Ninety-nine out of a hundred times the setup would be ideal, but damn if that one exception isn’t a doozy.”
The man straightened to his full height, resting a hand on his hip near the gun. “So, what are you going to do?”
“It’s what you’re gonna do,” said Umar, eyes flicking towards the jacker’s holster. “You’re the one threatening to shoot people.”
The response came with a heavy sigh, “You want to her to EVA over here before you start the repair.”
“It’s too dangerous to do it with her still on the ship, but with her onboard the Vulcan, we can pilot to the edge of the blast radius and still be able to control the drones. Maybe I can repair it in time. Maybe I won’t be fast enough and the thing will blow. But either way, the doc gets to live.”
“Fine. Do it.”
“You serious?” asked Umar, halfway through preparing the mental argument he thought he’d have to make.
“Yeah. Don’t know how much safer she’s going to be with me around, but it’s stupid to let her die now just ’cause I might get her killed later.” And leaving it at that, the jacker went to the pilot’s chair to bring the Vulcan’s hatch around so the doctor would have a straight-shot EVA.
Umar opened the comm. “Doc, you hear me?”
“Yes,” Dr. Hostan replied. “What did the scans say?”
“I’m gonna need you to EVA over to the Vulcan.”
“Am I losing the ship?”
“Can’t say for sure at this point, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Do I at least have enough time to pull my research drives?” asked the doctor. It was the most concerned Umar had seen her so far.
“Yeah, but fast, doc,” said Umar against his better judgement. “Take a minute to grab what you can, but you got to leave after that.”
Not even bothering to reply, the doctor rushed to grab the data she had gathered with the Terrapin’s sensors.
“Tell her to forget it,” said the jacker as he swung the Vulcan wildly away from the Terrapin.
Before Umar could ask what the hell was going on, the entire ship shook and the shields flared from a direct laser hit.
Umar frantically paged the doctor, “Plans changed, doc. Need you to stay put. We’ve got company.”
“How’d these bastards find me?” said the jacker as he evaded the next volley.
Umar checked the radar and saw there were two ships rapidly approaching their position. “Who are they?”
“A couple low-rent hitters.”
“And you thought you could lose them in my ship?”
“That was the plan.”
“Would have worked a lot better if you hadn’t left my drone behind.”
“You’re kidding me. The damn thing was tagged?”
“Six ways to Sunday … wait, where are you going?” demanded Umar when an out-of-range warning popped up for Shake.
“I’m getting us the hell out of here.” Another laser barrage just barely missed the prow of the Vulcan.
“No. We’re staying and fixing that ship.”
“I’m not dying for her.”
“Neither am I, so be sure to keep the ships off her and away from us.”
After a letting fly a string of curses, the jacker pulled the stick back and steered once again towards the Terrapin. “You’re damn lucky I’m a fantastic pilot.”
Umar keyed the comms. “Doc, since EVAing isn’t really an option any more, I’m starting the emergency repairs.”
The doctor took the news in stride. “Good luck.”
“Same to you, doc. If you got any messages to pass along, feel free to send them over.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you.” And with that, Dr. Hostan ended the comm.
Quickly, he opened the bay so that he could launch his last drone, Spear. It wasn’t really set up for this kind of delicate work, but Umar could use all the extra hands he could get. “Drone’s heading out. Can you give it cover?”
“On it,” replied the jacker, rolling the ship hard to one side. He positioned the Vulcan between the two attackers and the doctor. Switching his controls over, the jacker used the remote turrets to lay down a wide field of suppressive fire, forcing the ships to alter course. One of the would-be assassins saw this as an opportunity and attempted to sweep up on the underside, but the jacker was ready for them and let loose with the main guns, clipping the attacker’s port wing. The damage wasn’t enough to take them out of the fight, but it’d give the pilot something to think about.
Meanwhile, Umar had managed to cut open the access panel in the Terrapin’s thick armor and reach the inner workings. Controlling both drones in conjunction, he began the tricky process of halting the cascade and siphoning off the excess energy. Right on cue, the axial conduit kicked in, and as predicted, the power plant responded by increasing its load production. Now it was his turn to cuss up a storm.
Focusing his energy on the injured ship, the jacker switched to the offensive. This would have worked well if the two pilots had been a team, since harassing one would hopefully cause the other to react, but no such luck. The more distant attacker completely ignored the plight of the other and took advantage of the Vulcan’s push, scoring a direct hit. Smoke began to fill the ship’s main chamber. Fantastic pilot or not, the numbers were against them. “How’s it looking back there?”
“Almost done, one way or another.” Umar had about half as much time as he needed before the whole thing was going to blow, taking the Terrapin and the doc with it. What he needed was a way to quickly disrupt the power output all together, without triggering the explosion itself. He ran through the few options he had remaining, dismissing them as fast as he thought of them. Maybe if he had a full complement of drones he could have done something, but with Liam back with the jacker’s Reliant and his own stubbornness to blame for holding off on replacing Wil after the accident — his mind suddenly flashed on something. Wil.
A few years back, the drone had been lost along with a crew of four when what should have been a simple repair had gone catastrophically wrong. While patching the piping to one of the maneuvering thrusters, an unexpected static discharge had caused a feedback surge along the plasma conduits. In that case the surge had been deadly, but with the doc’s power plant already suffering a critical failure, there was a small chance that if he could trigger it and use one of his drones to act as an auxiliary breaker, he could interrupt the cascade before it went critical. Well, Spear, let’s see just how lucky you are.
The jacker had just launched the last of the Vulcan’s chaff, narrowly diverting a missile that detonated nearby. An inadvertent grin spread across his face. After the life he had led, it was a little hard to believe there was a good chance he was going to die doing something this stupidly heroic. Suddenly, there was a second explosion nearby. Something had blown on the hull of the Terrapin. He squinted his eyes in preparation for the blinding light that would follow the whole ship going boom, but nothing else happened.
“It worked! I can’t believe it worked!” Umar had lost his drone, but had saved the ship.
“Not to cut your celebration short, but I really could use a hand right about now.”
Umar’s attention was drawn back to the ongoing dogfight. When did the ship fill with so much smoke? “Pass the turrets to me.”
“You any good?” asked the jacker.
“Line me up a shot and find out.”
With a dedicated gun operator, the true combat capabilities of the Vulcan emerged. The jacker would chase a ship with the main guns getting them into position for Umar to let loose with cannons mounted on the remote turret. Working together, they manage to remove the wing on the ship that had been crippled earlier. Down a weapon, and barely able to maneuver, the ship fled. The remaining assassin, its advantage lost, made the sensible choice and followed.
Umar placed two cans of flavored sparkling water on the table. It had taken about an hour more of work before the doctor’s ship was ready to fly again and the effort had left him parched.
The jacker, sitting on the far side, cracked his open and drank deeply. When he finally came up for air, he smiled. “Guess I do like etrog flavor.”
“All right, spill it. Why do you got a price on your head?”
The smile left the jacker’s face. “Might be better if you don’t know.”
“Yeah, well, it seems a little late for that.”
The two sat in silence for a bit as Umar patiently drank his water.
Toying with the tab on the can, the jacker finally began, “I was working for the Dranton Family, smuggling off of Carteyna, when I got tagged by the Cano authorities. Wasn’t going to get out clean, so I dumped the cargo and ran. Turned out there was enough evidence in there to get most of the Drantons locked up for good. Guess that didn’t sit well because Luke Dranton put the hit out on me himself. Spent almost every last credit to his name making sure I get dead. That was about a month ago, been running ever since.”
“So, we should be expecting more company?”
“Greedy bastards will probably keep the news to themselves till they can come after us again, but yeah, they’ll be back.”
“Right.” Umar tilted back and finished the last of his drink. “We better get going then.”
“Thanks. If you drop me off at Pox, I can make my way from there.”
“I was actually thinking we could make a stop first. See, I came across a recent wreck a little bit before I grabbed you. Told Jess about it, but since In-A-Fix runs salvage there’s a good chance no one knows it’s there except me and her. We get there in time, should be able to make it so the registry shows you sadly passed away in a tragic accident.”
“Seriously? You’d do that for me?”
Umar shrugged, “What can I say, I like fixing stuff.”
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Hello Citizens,
What a fun and exciting weekend it has been! On Friday, we announced the Origin 100 Series of starter ships. The 100 series has been designed specifically for solo pilots looking to turn heads without sacrificing functionality or reliability.
Also, we kicked off the first Free Fly Weekend Event of 2018! We invited our friends, family, and guild-mates to join us in the PU to experience how much progress our team has been working on to deliver 3.1 to everyone. Not only that, but we extended the Free Fly until Apr. 18th due to the huge success and fun everyone was having, we weren’t ready to spoil it. You can read more about the Free Fly and even sign up and get 4 vehicles to pilot in the Persistence Universe here.
With that, let’s see what’s going on this week:
Today sees a new episode of Calling All Devs, the show dedicated to answering the community’s most voted questions. This week, we address questions on persistence, snub craft development, landing systems and more. You can watch the episode here.
Every third Tuesday, our Lore Team will post a News Update feature, providing new fictional insight on the Star Citizen universe. Check out previously published lore posts here.
‘Bugsmashers!’ will return next Wednesday on it’s regular bi-weekly schedule.
On Thursday, we’ll welcome an all-new episode of Around the Verse with the latest info from the Development team. This week, it’s a focus on the Persistent Universe and how the new Character Customizer came to life.
Lastly on Friday, we start off the weekend with a new episode of Reverse the Verse LIVE. Stay tuned for further information about who our special guests will be this week.
That’s all for this week, citizens. We’ll see you in the ‘Verse!
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We are constantly amazed by the contributions made by the Star Citizen community. Whether it’s fan art, a cinematic, a YouTube guide, or even a 3D print of your favorite ship, we love it all! Don’t forget to submit your content to our Community Hub for a chance at seeing it here!
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Mykal Erzan has created a really great montage of Star Citizen clips paired together with a cover of Pure Imagination made popular by the new movie Ready Player One.
The Great Beyond – by Utho Riley