Star citizen pledgeaggedon is today!

[Requiem762]

Anyone else here a citizen and if so are you ready for pledgeaggedon.

I'm ready

I also plan on being broke by the end of today:)

[pxi]

This is the game that's already raised $21 million, right? I know games cost a lot to produce, but its starting to seem a bit over the top to me.

[Requiem762]

Most AAA games have budgets over 100 million

[pxi]

Indeed they do.

Initially though, they kickstarted the thing looking for $500,000, and got $2 million. Then they went looking for $6 million, which they got. Now it seems to me that having raised ~3.5 times that amount there is no end in sight for how much the game will cost to make. This is where my confusion comes from - why does the bar keep being raised? They now have 42 times what they initially said it would take. And I get stretch goals, but they don't seem to be adding much per million at this point.

I hope the game meets your expectations, I would have some frankly insane expectations about how good the game was going to be at this point.

Out of interest, would you mind me asking how much you are preparing to pledge?

[Requiem762]

Since space games are still kind of a niche genre the original kickstarter goal was set low so they could go to a publisher or a group of investors with proof that there was a market for that kind of game. A lot of people have been concerned with feature creep with every stretch goal but CIG did clarify that stretch goals were just announcing already planned features but wouldn't be totally fleshed out to wha Chris roberts vision was unless the funds could be raised. I do hope I get out what I put into it and that everyone else who has pledged feels to same. As of how much I plan on pledgeing I don't know. "Pledgeaggedon" refers to the 1 year anniversary live stream where they are announcing special weekend sales of limited edition pledge packeges that were made unavailable for purchase earlier in the year. I have had 1 package already since summer and am looking to expand my hanger and donate more to a game I plan on spending much time playing

Edited October 10, 2013 by Requiem762

[pxi]

The feature creep isn't really my concern, I tend towards the 'more features, more fun' end of the spectrum. It seems to me that the total list of features should have been available day one if they wanted to entice investors, doubly so considering the kickstarters (and that includes you) *are* the investors. Of course, I doubt you expect to see any dividends from any potential profits, so I'm not really sure investor is the right term.

But again, if I was using my money to invest in any endevour I would be extremely concerned when the exact budget seems to be so hard to pin down. It's a first sign of trouble when investing IMHO. Once you have invested an amount, it is a lot easier to be convinced that an additional amount is neccessary to success.

I've paid for two games in an 'alpha' state - KSP and Prison Architect, both of which were available in a playable state (at least by the time I parted with cash for them). If either dev team shut up shop, I could still consider I had gotten my moneys worth.

At this point, my understanding is that Star Citizen has a ship hanger that you can walk around in, which is not enough to convince me, and I say this as a person familiar with the Wing Commander series. I'm extremely excited to see Elite Dangerous in development too, but have not helped to fund that one either. If it's playable and worthy of my time, I will pay for it when it is released.

Anyway, this is not an argument against the game itself, more musing on the nature of kickstarting games itself, so I'll stop here, I may be going off-topic.

Edit: I am going to watch the presentation in 7 hours though, I must admit I am curious about it at this point.

Edited October 10, 2013 by pxi

[Comrade Jenkens]

Never really followed star citizen much, i'd no idea it had got to 21million!!

[vetrox]

Can someone give me the run down of what this game is going to be about?

I'm not a fan of their home page. When im looking at games to get hyped up about they normally have a paragraph at the top of the page describing what the game is essentially about.

From what i can gather it is a sort of eve/the x series mashed up together.

I get worried when there is this much reading to do on an "about the game" page...it always seems suspicious almost like a salesman trying to sell me a big screen tv with insurance. Is it pay to play or subscription? I guess pay to play as you get X amount of game credits when you donate.

When is this even expected to be completed?

Edited October 10, 2013 by vetrox

[Sapphire]

From what i can gather it is a sort of eve/the x series mashed up together.

Remember those old space games, Wing Commander and Freelancer? Pretty much those.

http://robertsspaceindustries.com/about-the-game

Is it pay to play or subscription? I guess pay to play as you get X amount of game credits when you donate.

Buy-to-play, like KSP. Buy it once, have it forever.

When is this even expected to be completed?

The dogfighting alpha comes out at the end of this year, and the actual game comes out late next year/early 2015.

[vetrox]

Remember those old space games, Wing Commander and Freelancer? Pretty much those.

http://robertsspaceindustries.com/about-the-game

I've played freelancer but none of the others. However the page doesnt seem to give any "In the game you will be doing this" I get that I can do whatever i want but what can i want?

Dont get me wrong it doesnt take much for me to buy and enjoy a game its just that "about the game" page is to overcomplicated. If im a gamer who just stumbles across this game on a forum (like i have) the actual details of the game arent exactly in your face with that page.

I will put it on my "keep an eye on" list.

TBH i would be quite pleased if it was just freelancer but for 2015.

Buy-to-play, like KSP. Buy it once, have it forever.

NO MMO is Buy once play forever. They are either subscription or free to play. I prefer subscription based which is why i asked (I also said pay to play before, I meant free to play IE. You dont have to buy it and can play it for free but have the option of spending IRL cash for in game stuff)

[Sapphire]

NO MMO is Buy once play forever.

This one is.

As for what you can do... well, what do you want to do? Do you want to be a pirate (ew)? A bounty hunter? Work for the military? Salvage wrecked ships? Explore the darkest reaches of the galaxy? Be a footsoldier? A mercenary? A pilot of a pleasure cruise ship or taxi? Do you want to fly an oil tanker, or a mobile refinery? Smuggler? Racer (this is me, <3 my 350r)? All of the above? The possibilities are endless, really.

Also random FYI: The project lead is Chris Roberts, ie. the guy who made Freelancer. So hopefully that puts you to ease.

Edited October 10, 2013 by Sapphire

[rhoark]

The amount of marketing effort they have put into drumming up pledges really turns me off. Not giving it any attention until there's gameplay (and no, the virtual showroom for your pledge rewards is not gameplay.)

[sal_vager]

Pledged to Elite Dangerous already, can't afford both games :/

[vetrox]

As for what you can do... well, what do you want to do? Do you want to be a pirate (ew)? A bounty hunter? Work for the military? Salvage wrecked ships? Explore the darkest reaches of the galaxy? Be a footsoldier? A mercenary? A pilot of a pleasure cruise ship or taxi? Do you want to fly an oil tanker, or a mobile refinery? Smuggler? Racer (this is me, <3 my 350r)? All of the above? The possibilities are endless, really.

Dont get me wrong, that sounds pretty good but how is it different to, say, eve? or the x series? what makes this game different or better than those? (im not inciting an argument i'm asking a question)

Say i want to work for the military, how do i go about this. Is the military an npc governed body or is absolutley everything player controlled? Is it a case of Land on planet a, Grab generic quest b, attack npc at given location? Are players going to pay money to own planets and reap the rewards (such as that wierd online game/casino "calypso") This sounds like nothing new (not that i mind) but the homepage suggests this is groundbreaking stuff? This is probably because they are wanting donations so i can sort of see why they are doing it.

I guess i should attribute some of my worries to the fact that the game isnt even close to release so the actuall gameplay mechanics are still being discussed/designed.

The reason i loved eve so much is cos im a sad industrialist so mining and having my own production chain really apealed to me so why do i want to play this over eve for example. Again im not trying to incite an argument I'm genuinley curious. I've been let down by this sort of game development before. All the promises and not seing all of them.

The amount of marketing effort they have put into drumming up pledges really turns me off. Not giving it any attention until there's gameplay (and no, the virtual showroom for your pledge rewards is not gameplay.)

This is sort of has me asking questions. They almost put too much effort into drumming up money than making a game. Theres a reason its called "donating" and not "investing" or "early access purchase" (like ksp)

Edited October 10, 2013 by vetrox

[dlrk]

I'm extremely skeptical of this. Games raising money in this manner could easily be a scam. Personally, I think this should be regulated as an investment.

[Sapphire]

Dont get me wrong, that sounds pretty good but how is it different to, say, eve? or the x series? what makes this game different or better than those? (im not inciting an argument i'm asking a question)

Honestly I can't say. I've never played an X game, and I specifically avoid Eve because of the reputation its playerbase has. You'd have to ask someone else that.

Dont get me wrong, that sounds pretty good but how is it different to, say, eve? or the x series? what makes this game different or better than those? (im not inciting an argument i'm asking a question)

Say i want to work for the military, how do i go about this. Is the military an npc governed body or is absolutley everything player controlled?

According to the devs, 90% of ingame people will be NPCs. Players have very little actual influence on the workings of the economy. That said, they can still own space stations and stuff, and maybe if you get good enough you can get a kilometer-long Bengal carrier. I hope you can find a bunch of buddies to help you fly it. The military (UEE) is mostly NPC, but can be joined by players, and that's what the Squadron 42 campaign will cover, which is basically a Wing Commander-style singleplayer campaign that pits you as a member of the UEE against the Vanduul. And you get to take your reputation from Squadron 42, and your credits, and ships, into the persistent universe, Star Citizen.

Here's a really good blurb on the economy if you're interested.

http://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/13128-The-Star-Citizen-Economy

[Godot]

Dont get me wrong, that sounds pretty good but how is it different to, say, eve? or the x series? what makes this game different or better than those? (im not inciting an argument i'm asking a question)

...

Dunno about Eve ... but with regards to the X-Series (at least the parts that are already out) ...

the X-Series plays 100% of its time in space, whereas for Space Citizen AFAIK it is planned to also be able to land on planets

In the X-Series (at least till now ... AFAIK changes with X-Rebirth) you are most of the time in your ship ... asicde from short space walks (and AFAIK a single Mission in X3) you won´t spend any time in 3rd/1st person mode (as you yourself, i.e. an astronaut).

In Space Citizen however you can enter 1st/3rd person mode at any time, can walk around in your ship and (if your ship models has the capability) go to the ship tpoilet or lie down in your own bunk.

Same goes for space stations and hangars in which you will be able to walk around (as it is already possible now if you are a backer with your own ship and start your hangar module).

With other words, 1st/3rd person takes a lot of room in the Star Citizen.

AFAIK you also don´t travel via gates from sector to sector (like in X) but rather have the ability to move freely within a solar system

And of course, aside from the Single Player part Squadron42, SC is multiplayer ... you may well be intercepted by players flying poirate ships, when traveling as a trader ... or you yourself hunt down pirates as a bounty hunter

What SC in contrast to X doesn´t have is the ability to buiild huge space station complexes that arfe owned by the player and produce a wide range of products (I am not sure, but I think I have read that players may possess single space stations in SC, but it will cost a lot and only be affordable by the richesdt of players)

So far for the differences between X and SC

As for myself, I have backed both, SC as well as Elite:Dangerous, as both games deserve it (and I most probably will also buy X: Rebirth at one day after it has come out)

[Requiem762]

Not gonna lie the live stream last night sucked.

What they had to show was great but.......

They were ill prepared toacctually stream the even.

They started late and had constant lag.

[cypher_00]

sry double post

[cypher_00]

I'm extremely skeptical of this. Games raising money in this manner could easily be a scam. Personally, I think this should be regulated as an investment.

Most people who have pledged know who Chris Roberts is. I grew up playing his games in the early 90's and have been waiting on a new game from him for about 15 years. I spend 90 dollars on this game as soon as i saw he was making it.

No scamming what so ever just alot of people that really want to see a new wing commander / privateer kind of game.

[Sapphire]

Not gonna lie the live stream last night sucked.

What they had to show was great but.......

They were ill prepared toacctually stream the even.

They started late and had constant lag.

Indeed it did. At least watching it on Youtube later was good!

Also the Aegis Dynamics Retaliator is so pretty!

Also Hornet trailer.

[Requiem762]

I love the reta and am hopping for a flash discount sometime this weekend I'm juggling between getting the retail and the freelancer cud I want to haul and explore but like me both but my budget is limited

[TMS]

I've been a little put off by the sums of money involved in this. It all seems a little gratuitous.

As others have said, I'd have some crazy expectations about the end product. I'm not sure a game can ever match up to the expectations these sums of money produce.

Maybe it's because I'm a casual gamer, but when I see the money people are putting into this and the benefits they got early on (lifetime insurance), I kinda wonder why anyone else would bother starting at such a disadvantage.

[cypher_00]

Fact is that 21 million for a triple A game is not all that much. GTAV was in production for 5 years and development costs for that game where around the 200 / 250 million dollars range.

The good thing about this pledge system is that the more people pledge the better the game will get. If they did not reach the 13 million mark I think it was they now would not have their own Mo-Cap studio. Now they do so they can develop realistic animations much easier. Feature creep could be a problem but they do have a good roadmap and vision on where to go with the game and releasing it in separate modules allows them to test new features with every big mile stone reached.

Edited October 11, 2013 by cypher_00

[Sapphire]

I've been a little put off by the sums of money involved in this. It all seems a little gratuitous.

As others have said, I'd have some crazy expectations about the end product. I'm not sure a game can ever match up to the expectations these sums of money produce.

Maybe it's because I'm a casual gamer, but when I see the money people are putting into this and the benefits they got early on (lifetime insurance), I kinda wonder why anyone else would bother starting at such a disadvantage.

They've told us that LTI only covers the ship hull. LTI doesn't cover your aftermarket engines, or powerplant, or guns, or armor, or cargo, or whatever.

Also keep in mind that the budget for this project at this time is about a tenth of GTA V's budget.