Official Codex Star Citizen Squadron Thread

[Blaine]

Is there a subscription fee? Is there a separate charge for the single player game and the MMO? If not I'd be willing to check the online part out although I doubt I'd spend more than five or so hours a week. Maybe I could be the derpy trader ship or something. I haven't looked through much of the information because it's far too voluminous to delve through and I don't really feel like wrapping my head around something that's almost two years off.

No subscription fee, and the three game modes (even many backers seem to have forgotten about moddable, user-hosted multiplayer) are sold as a package. I believe there will be fees for expansions to the single-player campaign, but that seems reasonable to me.

I'm probably the Codex's biggest Star Citizen fan, but some superfans dwarf my knowledge of Star Citizen-related factoids. There's definitely a ton of material available. Most of the factual stuff I'm familiar with, but I skip the fiction and some of the interviews/Wingman's Hangars.

 

[Blaine]

PvP is alright, but mostly if done with bros.

PvP will receive plenty of attention and will be doable soloable or in a group. There'll be two-man, four-man, and even larger ships available—the Constellation for example, which will allow for a pilot, two turret gunners, and a launchable snub fighter. You'll be able to walk around in the interior, and three people can occupy the bridge chairs at a given time. It'll have bunks, a little lavatory and shower, fold-down tables, a common area, and a cargo bay. One of the Jump Point issues linked in the OP has lots of interior shots of the Constellation.

 

[eklektyk]

i will def check it out ... liked wing comm/freelancer 's so might like it very much
but my main interest is mining/resources/crafting so early dogfight alpha is not so hot ...
but when it goes live i will very much like to hang around codex crew and all that

 

[Zarniwoop]

I'm starting to regret giving money to this, usually they wait until release (or shortly before) to start with all the microtransaction/pay2win bullshit. Well, too late now, guess I'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.

No idea if I'd be interested in the multiplayer aspect of the game when it arrives, since I don't know if the game will be any good. All I see at this stage is massive hype and "gibe muney plz" emails every second day.

 

[IDtenT]

The PvP slider is a curious idea. Sliding between different instances of the same location? Regardless I'm not a big fan of AI controlled regions, even if I'm a bit of a carebare; I hate griefing and prefer organised warfare. That said it is clear that MMO communities just aren't capable of policing themselves, or do not have the tools available to do so, otherwise it would have been done already.

 

[anus_pounder]

PvP is alright, but mostly if done with bros.

PvP will receive plenty of attention and will be doable soloable or in a group. There'll be two-man, four-man, and even larger ships available—the Constellation for example, which will allow for a pilot, two turret gunners, and a launchable snub fighter. You'll be able to walk around in the interior, and three people can occupy the bridge chairs at a given time. It'll have bunks, a little lavatory and shower, fold-down tables, a common area, and a cargo bay. One of the Jump Point issues linked in the OP has lots of interior shots of the Constellation.

See, this is what intrigues yet scares me at the same time. This game sounds like heavan and I'm not even a fan of the genre and sub-genre it falls under. But the fear that the delivery will fall short is what keeps me from paying a dime. I want to believe ffs.

bah. Its nothing to do with you, just had to let some steam out. Back to doing some research on it.

 

[Kane]

With the way these games usually turn out be, I remain in a wait and see position. If this really turns out to be the next big thing in terms of spaceship warfare I am certainly down for this shit.

But why are squadrons important and why do we need to talk about them now? Isn't a squadron just a spaceguild where like-minded team up to shoot each other's pixels or is there more to this?

 

[Blaine]

anus_pounder
Star Wars Galaxies had larger starships (Millennium Falcon analogues) that you could walk around in during space flight, including multiple turrets and stations for a group of players to man, and that was an old MMO from 2003 in which character-based gameplay on planetary surfaces was very much the main focus. Jump To Lightspeed was just that, an expansion, though surprisingly it was quite good for what it was. Simply put, it worked.

Multi-crewed ships aren't some crazy dream. They're far, far easier to implement than you might think. If fucking Sony Online Entertainment could do it as an afterthought, then Chris Roberts most certainly can pull it off as one of his main focuses.

 

[anus_pounder]

anus_pounder
Star Wars Galaxies had larger starships (Millennium Falcon analogues) that you could walk around in during space flight, including multiple turrets and stations for a group of players to man, and that was an old MMO from 2003 in which character-based gameplay on planetary surfaces was very much the main focus. Jump To Lightspeed was just that, an expansion, though surprisingly it was quite good for what it was. Simply put, it worked.

Multi-crewed ships aren't some crazy dream. They're far, far easier to implement than you might think. If fucking Sony Online Entertainment could do it as an afterthought, then Chris Roberts most certainly can pull it off as one of his main focuses.

Noted. Though I was referring to the game as a whole. In any case, I'm leaning towards taking the $30 backer right now. Back to research.

EDIT: Keep in mind my knowledge of games is nonexistent. If games have existed that did similar things on similar scales successfully, all the better for Star Citizen and my hopes for it.

 

[Blaine]

But why are squadrons important and why do we need to talk about them now? Isn't a squadron just a spaceguild where like-minded team up to shoot each other's pixels or is there more to this?

Yeah, it's mainly just a space guild in which we team up to shoot other Internet spaceships.

I'm gauging interest now because I feel it's a good time to do so, despite the early date. I chose June because the new RSI website goes live at the end of this month, marking the end of LTI/veteran backer pledge tiers (though original backers can help you out via gifting even after the changeover). The combat alpha is six months away, but alpha slots are limited, and the disused General Gaming thread won't help to inform anyone of that fact. I may even buy pledge packages for some fence-sitters, but I wouldn't even know who they are if no one were talking. Finally, setting up infrastructure for the squadron (VoIP, IRC, separate website and forums on a private domain [perhaps], logo, charter, etc.) is something I'm willing to do, but is best planned out and discussed in advance. VoIP and IRC in particular will be good to have before the combat alpha, though those take just a couple of days to set up.

Essentially, I'm testing the waters. If enough Codexians are interested that our squadron can actually have a presence in the game, then I'm willing to hang my hat on a Codexian squadron. If no one seemed interested, I'd probably sit tight/join some other squadron later next year.

It looks as though nearly twenty Codexians (including myself) have now expressed interest, though the majority with the perfectly understandable caveat "if it's good". A few months down the line, we may have twenty or thirty more expressing interest. I suspect we may be forced to selectively recruit plebeians from outside the Codex if we ever want to have, say, three or four people online at all hours of the day or night, but then again we could simply ally with some other squadron instead to get meat in seats for larger operations. I'm not expressly advocating either of those options, mind you, just ruminating.

Domination of the game isn't the goal, having fun is. If domination were the goal, Reddit (ugh, fuck) and numerous other 200+ person guilds full of retards exist. For me, having fun will involve causing plebeians' ships to explode, and espionage—that is, infiltrating other guilds to spy on them or fuck up their plans at a crucial moment. Also playing the game alongside non-retards.

 

[Metro]

Must have Codexian troll flags/insignias.

 

[IDtenT]

Must have Codexian spies everywhere - fucking up shit.

 

[Metro]

But, yeah, as there's no charge beyond the base cost of the single player game (excluding expansions) I'll certainly give online a look.

 

[Blaine]

Quoting myself:

...I've come up with a few potential new ideas for how to assist fence-sitters who want to try the combat alpha.

• Community property: I purchase 3-4 basic copies of the game. A dozen or so Codexers can then take turns using the accounts, allowing them to try out the combat alpha for free.
• Pledge match: Pledge $35 (or more if desired). I donate $35 to the Codex in your name. These will obviously be limited.
• Buyback program: Pledge $35. If you hate the game when it's released, I'll buy back your account for $35. Again, these will be limited. (I'll have use of these because I can utilize them to infiltrate and spy on player organizations.)

I think I'll be doing the first option regardless.

 

[IDtenT]

(I'll have use of these because I can utilize them to infiltrate and spy on player organizations.)

Wouldn't account names be hidden from players?

 

[Blaine]

Wouldn't account names be hidden from players?

I strongly suspect that if you join someone's guild (meaning they send an in-game invite and you click "Accept"), they'll be able to see the display name of your account at the very least. Regardless, it's best to use a fresh deniable asset when you're up to monkeyshines.

 

[IDtenT]

I do fear that you're hyping it up to become the second EVE, when it might not. (Not that EVE is perfect by any means - especially corp management; just this could turn out less effective.)

 

[SmartCheetah]

I was following their Kickstarter and I must say - it looked very promising. One thing I didn't liked, was the emphasis on "high-end hardware". I'm definitely not a rich person so I can't really afford a new gaming rig every one or two years just because of two or three games.
But lets say that initially you can count me in. I wasted a lot of hours on Freelancer (with Discovery mod ofc), even roleplaying the pilot squadron with my friends. Fun times.

 

[Zed]

This could be kinda cool I guess? I won't sign up for anything but it would be cool to play something like this from the beginning rather than trying to learn it at a later stage (like trying to get into Eve today..).

 

[Blaine]

You don't learn EVE in a day, Zed. There's so much to learn that if I posted twenty paragraphs in an attempt to offer you advice, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

There is one rule to follow at all times, and that is: Only fly what you can afford to lose. Also, don't be afraid of low-security space. It's literally better than highsec even for the purpose of keeping oneself relatively safe, once you're used to it that is.

Six months, minimum, to be considered a competent and decently knowledgeable player. I recommend stocking up on beard grooming creme, Russian filterless cigarettes, and the best damned coffee money can buy.

 

[IDtenT]

He does have a point about EVE though. The oldest characters can do almost anything these days - while a new character (and by new I mean a year old) can't really do nearly as much. Although the gap does lessen - it will always exist.

 

[Blaine]

That's the common complaint about EVE, yes. And unlike 99% of bittervets, I agree to a certain extent.

In any case, I don't really think Star Citizen will be like EVE, and I'm not terribly keen to discuss it here.

 

[anus_pounder]

He does have a point about EVE though. The oldest characters can do almost anything these days - while a new character (and by new I mean a year old) can't really do nearly as much. Although the gap does lessen - it will always exist.

This, pretty much.

But I've plucked the forbidden fruit. Guess I might as well taste it.

 

[IDtenT]

Yeah, of course. The system is completely different. This doesn't have RPG skill trees.

 

[Blaine]

Eh? Eh?

Here's a very rough mockup I've knocked together of the general style and format of emblem I personally have in mind (regardless of name), with Codex colors, Incline Inc., crappy placeholders (in Tacticular Cancer colors) on the sides since space would need to be taken up by some elements there, and the troll up top.

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