Star Citizen: Chris Roberts' dream one step closer to the finish line?

Latest article dedicated to Star Citizen What we wrote dates back to the end of 2020, a terrible year of the pandemic and, in terms of games, many postponements. The video game industry has been adjusting to a new, thankfully temporary, normal and everything that came with it. Even Star Citizen inevitably ended up in the middle, and seeing a project that was already taking up all the time could get even further away was really frustrating. But today, nearly four years after that last article and dozens of other uncomfortable pieces of news, we're back to bringing good news.

News that should concern all video game fans, not just those who follow them This crazy project from Cloud Imperium and signed by Chris Roberts. Moreover, despite the fact that it's been years since work began on what was initially little more than an idea, from a studio that we remember didn't even exist yet, Star Citizen remains a visual and technical marvel. Some aspects are no longer so surprising today, but these are graphical details that could, as has already happened, improve over time. There is a different matter regarding the remarkable technical piece that to this day remains unparalleled in the goal it set for itself, and which it is now one step closer to achieving: we refer first of all to Connect server Which will allow you to create a single magical instance, instead of the usual barriers between servers and maximum persistence of objects throughout the galaxy.

Squadron 42 is complete!

Let's start with the first good, or rather excellent, news: Squadron 42, the single player Star Citizen game, is practically over. Eleven years later, the project has been defined by its developers as “feature complete,” so all the elements are in place and everything can finally enter the internal testing phase. This is the moment when the game enters alpha into beta, and the cleaning process begins. We can't say yet how long this latest part of development will last, but Squadron 42 is now close, if not very close. For those who don't know what it's about, Squadron 42 will consist of a single-player campaign in the style of the old Chris Roberts classics, remember Wing Commander? Squadron 42 will be a simulation experience, don't expect it to be arcade-y, but it is proposed as a huge Hollywood production and features actors such as Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill, Gillian Anderson and others.

It's all about the continuous universe

The end of work on Squadron 42 also had a beneficial impact on the ongoing Star Citizen universe, a universe that had already been playable for several years. The bulk of the developers involved in the single-player campaign (which, we remember, will be sold as a standalone game) have now moved on to the other project, which, not surprisingly, is about to receive one of the most important updates ever: the Patch 3.23. This is an essential patch because in addition to adding very important new functionality, it begins to incorporate elements taken from Squadron 42 into the ongoing universe with the final game look and ease of use. The new Mobyglass, the augmented reality lens that actually represents Star Citizen's user interface, will be a huge leap forward for Star Citizen as we know it and not just because we'll finally get a star map worthy of the name.

New interface

At 3.23, the first wild animals will appear, finally giving some life to the gorgeous panoramas the game already offers: Kopion are menacing felines while Marok are basically harmless flying creatures. Right now, there are only two, but you have to consider that the biggest hurdle in terms of development is introducing the first animal, and then it's more or less a matter of creating new ones. But yet New Mobiglass, which also includes a new system that automatically maps the area around bases and planets, and perhaps the most important new thing is the introduction of personal hangars that we will have access to on our home planet. Here we will be able to customize the hull (in the future) and work on our ships, as well as actually interact with their cargo which we will now have to handle personally if we do not want to pay more. Goods and resources will be transported through a new freight elevator, and the latest tools introduced in the last four updates such as tractor beams, containers and carts. These new functions also made it possible to revise the space truck driver missions and introduce new missions. But the new hangar with cargo elevator will also be very useful for all other “citizens” including those who have dedicated themselves to the new profession in the junkyards since the patch was released in December.

One step away from the finish line

Technically, version 3.23 will bring support for the most popular upgrade functions (DLSS, FSR and TSR developed by Cloud Imperium itself), better scaled clouds and many changes to accommodate the future server network that is not too far away. The testing phase is progressing, and only in the past five months have some players been able to make the first leap Pyro, the new alien system that will join Stanton when the continuous universe is mature enough. Also in this case, once Server Meshing is permanently introduced into the game and it will finally be possible to move between the two systems without any problem, it will become easier and faster to add new systems (which probably more or less already exist).

Patch 3.23 is imminent: it should be ready for public servers between April and June. As for Squadron 42, all eyes and ears are focused on Manchester where the new Citizencon will be held on October 19th and 20th, and hopefully a final release date will be revealed. On the other hand, the persistent universe already exists and for around 50 euros you can start playing it right away, but we recommend the experience only to those who want to see a galaxy under construction and not to those who are looking for a game to enjoy. Spend some time without fear of crashes and heavy resets.