News: 10 For the Chairman

Episode 8



Transcript can be read here: http://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/1y6qe1/10_for_the_chairman_episode_8/cfhucc7

 

Episode 13 March 24, 2014 Summary:

1: In the DFM, where is our hangar located? Are we already in space on a station? If so, how do we get the ship out of the hangar without creating a vacuum?

A: The dogfighting module concept is a simulation. You will be in your hangar, get in a ship (probably Hornet to start with) and your HUD will come up and create an interface which will allow you to practice dogfighting and such. This will eventually evolve into a feature in the game universe called Arena Commander wherein virtual battles can take place without any real world damage to your ship or expenditure of munitions.

2: Given all the focus on the Oculus (sic) Rift, will similar time be given to technologies like TrackIR and CastAR? Do you expect basic head tracking functions to be available for the DFM?

A: They have announced support for TrackIR, CastAR hasn't been specifically considered yet. However CIG is trying to be as supportive of additional options as possible. Head tracking probably not for DFM V1, Oculus Rift probably working for DFM V1.

3: What do you envisage the 'end game' to be for the industry side of the game, especially for players that are more focused (sic) on that aspect?

A: Chris hopes there isn't a specific end game in Star Citizen, industrially focused there will always be someone trying to 'push you off of your high perch.' Running production nodes and trying to build an economic empire will be part of the high level game.

4: Will I be able to set to pilots/organizations aggression-status (like RED/FOE, ORANGE/PIRATE, GREEN/FRIENDLY, GREY/NEUTRAL, BLUE/FRIEND, etc.) in relation to myself/my organization? (sic)

A: The game will track all relations between organizations and such, players and NPCs. This will translate into your ingame HUD. Colors will be used.

5: Will the Mustang and or other ships not yet available for pledge be made so before the Alpha? It looks pretty cool and I would like to add one alongside my Aurora LN and Cutlass.

A: They are working on all announced ships. As ships are translated in engine they will be added to Hangars and you will be able to pledge for them. Once all damage states and such are added, they will be able to be used in the DFM.

6: If I happen across some cargo that has "fallen" off the back of a freelancer, is it fair game to any who can pick it up, or is it considered stolen? Will "stolen" merchandise be automatically identifiable by the authorities and other players?

A: They are in the process of fleshing out cargo mechanics. Will probably be a variable. Fancier cargo containers will have tracking devices on them, but most will not and will be free game if found floating randomly.

7: Regarding Star Maps: Will Organizations be able to apply their own markers & and notations on the Star map? so that all or selected members of the Organization can share information. Such as resource nodes held by allies/enemies, troop movements etc. (sic)

A: This relates to navigation maps, most navigation map will have basic trade lanes and such displayed. You can discover points of interest, such as an asteroid field full of valuable minerals, and broadcast that information out to your organization. This kind of information can also be sold to cartographer companies. So yes, map info can be shared between organization members.

8: Can you share any of the planes for "Orgs 2.0"? As an Org leader, I have concerns about how multiple Org membership will work, and how I can manage my people.

A: They have discussed multiple organization membership. There will be primary organizations, of which you can only join one, and affiliates which you can have multiples. Organization leaders can filter members based on what organizations they are part of already. They also have a concept for a 'special ops' part of organizations although they will not reveal too much yet.

9: Given how much the universe/instance server is being setup to match-make on the fly and determine who will see who when entering a given area of space, are we guaranteed to "instance" with pilots in our friends list & organizations (preferred method), or will there be some gameplay mechanic (such as creating a squadron, or something similar) required in order to force that to happen?

A: No, one of the points of the organizations and friends list (friends lists are apparently affiliate organizations) is to put people together who have designated the other as a person of interest. You can also directly indicate that you are flying as a group with other people which will take priority over everything else. Multiple other factors will also be taken into consideration, like ping or PvP preference.

10: Question about PC touchscreen support (not tablet). With PC OS such as Win8 now natively supporting touchscreen, has there been any though put towards allowing this same support in Star Citizen directly?

A: No, not something they have considered yet, maybe a later addition. Also "we all hate Windows 8 here."

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 14

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-03-31 - Chris Roberts drops another informative and troll-baiting episode of his show 10 for the Chair.

In this episode, he manages to mention Idris, PVP, PVE and the some new hints on the matchmaking algorithm in one question, so expect forum wars to result. Also spying and metagaming in another.



0:50 Q: "How is your sound studio developing and what are your plans? Have you heard of 'Real Time Voice Porting'? Good sound is an essential part of the gaming experience. Could you please present or say something about your plans?"

Studios in Austin and Santa Monica. Gigabit fiber hook ups between Studios. Hadn't heard of real time voice porting, and didn't know what it is so couldn't really answer. Agrees that sound is important.

2:52 Q: "With so many high value accounts existing well before the game is released, would you consider supporting security hardware, such as an RSA SecurID Authenticator or other such two step verifications methods. " (sic)

Good question. Not what Chris focuses on. Turbulent. Definitely always looking to improve security.

4:05 Q: "Will humans be the only playable species upon launch? If so, do you plan on adding additional "humanoid" species, such as the Banu or Xi'an, to be playable? I think as a future add-on would work nicely as an expansion pack."

Human's only at launch, but plan would be to add others, such as the Banu and the Xi'an. Mentioned additional single player campaigns

5:07 Q: "Mining and Manufacturing will be an important part of the persistent Universe, will the mining platform in SQ42 concept art be available for us to purchase in the Star Citizen Universe. What plans do you have for Star Citizen, will we have warehouses and silo's that we can purchase and expand upon."

Silo or warehouses will be available. Players may be able to buy a mining station. Not sure if it will be a base that size, but maybe down the road.

6:46 Q: "Because Star Citizen is a sandbox, will it be possible to infiltrate an organization with your character! Will there be some tools to use your main character for that? For example I'm in organization A that is at war with organization B. Will I be able to hide that I'm a member of organization A without leaving my organization so I can infiltrate organization B? Otherwise it will require a second character?"

Yes they are thinking about spying and infiltration as part of game play. Kind of fun and they want to allow at least a little of that. May see some of that soon for the Organizations on the website.

8:01 Q: "Given the episodic delivery of Squadron 42, will consequences of our actions between episodes migrate to new portions of the story? For example, if I was on a "losing track" during the first iteration of S42, would that be the path I would start on for the next installment of the adventure (even if I was doing awesome during my stint in the PU while the next episode was being developed)?"

No real plans to allow people to play SQ42, go the PU and then come back, even with the episodic delivery. They expect SQ42 to be complete before that launches. Fair amount of detail on the sequence of module deliveries.

11:36 Q: "Given your background as a producer in Hollywood and with the FMV's in the Wing Commander games what do you think the potential would be for a Star Citizen TV series?"

Universe will be pretty compelling, so maybe something like that longer term. There is thought of "in fiction" videos that you could watch in the game. Heads down completing the game for now though.

13:36 Q: "Are there any plans to bring back some of the voice actors from previous Roberts productions, use other well-known voice actors, or start with fresh actors? P.S. Can we have a character(s) voice acted by Chris Roberts, Sandi Gardiner, or Eric Wingman Peterson? Better yet, all 3!"

Haven't disclosed who they are going to get, for SQ42. Want to finish the script first. Yes some voice actors will be coming back and perhaps some new "name" actors. Ron Perlman mentioned as a possibility. And yes cameos for design staff.

15:29 Q: "Given the nature of the persistent universe, with fringe systems also being the most lawless, are PVP and exploration intrinsically linked? Will I need to always be ready to fight for my life while exploring and bring an Idris full of battle-hardened friends whenever I go"

Don't think so. Some of the exploring stuff will be off the beaten track. Exploration mode may lower the chance of a PVP encounter? Did he really say that? Aim to make both side of the PVE and PVP argument both be happy. Has some tricks up his sleeve. Opines that his comments here today will kick off another massive forum war on the subject.

18:44 Q: "Will Squadron 42 or the Star Citizen PU contain content that pays homage to some of your past games, (e.g. Wing Commander or Freelancer) that fans will pick up in NPC dialogue, UEE news bulletins, hidden Easter eggs or the like?"

Yes. Definitely. Already there. You'll see quite a few in the DFM to start.

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 15

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-07 - Another 10 for the Chairman, with CIG CEO Chris Roberts answering questions.

A meaty episode this week, delving into cap ships and fleet combat, PU achievements, racing, e-sports, Org Hangars and Taxes, Zero-g combat, and communications.



2:04 Q: Dave Haddock mentioned mentioned some stuff about writing in-universe fiction involving player actions, such as interviewing a player who discovers a new jump point and then putting out a Spectrum post about it. Do you know how some large-scale player actions that affect the universe are going to be handled from a lore and gameplay standpoint, like Operation Pitchfork?

Not sure how that is going to work. The goal is that player actions become part of the PU. Live team act as news team to cover events. 60 minutes of our universe. Also the fate of the universe takes into account the players actions, the story being told does change based on player actions. Likened it to a D&D campaign where the DM has an idea of how things will play out but has to adapt to the actions and choices of the players.

3:58 Q: How will commanding work in battles? Will we have some kind of strategic view of the area and can designate targets, objectives and waypoints for individual players or designated wings? Kind of RTS view for commanders?

Capital ships will be a big part of these kind of battles - require multiple roles on caps. Need a team to be effective. On top of that, yes there will be a holo view of the battle in the CnC which will allow these kind of operations. This is all part of Dog Fighting Module v3 plans.

5:58 Q: Has there been any more development on the Racing aspect of Star Citizen? Will we have betting and spectator systems?

Haven't been focusing on that. DFM. But yes spectator and betting. In fiction e-sports for racing and dog fighting.

6:57 Q: Will we get hangars for our Orgs, and will members be able to leave their ships there, maybe while flying an org owed ship?

Yes. Shared communal hangars and buy ships. Org Tithe and/or Tax. Loan ships.

7:43 Q: How much time will it take for information to travel from one end of the playable space to the other since the communications do not travel at FTL speeds?

Not defined yet. Relay system is described here as an answer.

10:11 Q: There has been some talk about gravity generators being part of the ship mechanic. I was wondering if you could go into a little more depth as to how this will work if that system is taken offline. For example: will we still be able to move about the ship without gravity, and if so, how will this be done? O will the crew of your ship that's not belted in be stuck floating in place?

FPS team has Zero G movement working(!? Great news). Anti-boarder tactic. Magnetic boots, thrusters.

11:42 Q: If you have to space your cargo hold in the PU to avoid being boarded, will you be able to leave some booby trap, like an explosive device or tracker hidden in the cargo? Or maybe an ink bomb like they use at the bank (That would be pretty funny). Something to make the pirates think twice?

Now reason you couldn't have an explosive that you could remotely detonate. Optional Lo-jack system mentioned previously. Pirates would potentially have counters for these.

12:55 Q: What will happen to everything we've achieved earned, bought etc at the end of the Persistent Universe Alpha and Beta?

Early alpha test will likely be wiped. Later beta may carry over. At some point in beta they probably will declare "close enough" and no more wipes.

13:50 Q: You mentioned in the beginning that there will be also mission disks for S42 (at least one). Will a character be able to go "back" to do these mission disk of S42, after finishing the "original" campaign and "moving on" to PU?

Yes. Absolutely. Follow up missions will be designed to be played after you've mustered out and then spent time in the PU.

14:27 Q: With the voice chat, will we be able to just do a short range broadcast to everyone nearby? If so would I be able to charge into battle blasting out ride of the Valkyries?

Kind of cool. Hailing system. Broadcast at close range, yes -- but undetermined how things will be set up by default. They may or may not need to accept your hail to hear you.

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 16

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-14 - Shout out for the Operation Pitchfork. The episode leads with an in-verse letter to the UEE Senate, with a handcrafted Vanduul Knife. Chris is clearly impressed. Likely more will happen with this later, as Chris promised to "pass it on to the UEE Senate".



4:21 Q: Hi Chris, What be the biggest ship that a player can buy (legally) and park it in the hangar? An Idris, or could I dream of owning a Javelin and have it safely "stored" in my hangar.

A: Idris may not fit in your Hangar, certainly not bigger. (Note: Chris didn't answer this fully. This question could be better broken into several parts, what can you buy, what fits and a hangar, and what can you safely "park". From previous dev comments, a player probably can buy a Javelin, which would probably not fit in a hangar, but probably will not stay in space to be taken over by others if you log out. For a counter example, see "persistent" capital ships like the Bengal Carrier, which would be a no, no, and no proposition. - Ed.)

5:05 Q: On the topic of procedural generation planet side, when and if this technology comes to fruition post release, what can we expect to see included with it besides exploration and atmospheric flight? Will we see some new procedurally generated planets in addition to the ones already in the verse that are just barren? Is it also possible that this procedural generation will extend into jumpoints as well and actually facilitate the creation of new planets and areas?

A: Development on this is just beginning. Currently researching asteroid field generation. Next would be system generation, move onto planets. Create background landscape. Some designed locations. Long term goal make planets interesting for exploration.

7:34 Q: Are NPCs a finite figure in the galaxy? Could it be possible that entire races could be wiped out? Or are the NPC stocks refilled maintain set numbers as they are killed

A: Pop count is driven by the economy. Seems like he is talking about humans here. Not sure you could wipe out an entire race. Not a set number.

8:59 Q: Could you please elaborate on the Person of Interest (POI) system? How will we be setting other people to be POIs to ourselves? Will it require authorization from the other person, or can anyone set anyone else to be a POI to them, given the name they're looking for?

A: No authorization or even awareness. "Temporary friend." Details don't seem to be worked, yet

10:38 Q: It's clear that the universe will be filled with NPCs, but will some of those NPCs want to join player-made factions? Can I look forward to my little cult having NPC followers, player pirate clans having NPC raiding parties, or player corporations having NPCs asking for jobs, or will player run orgs only be allowed player members/ships?

A: Companies can hire NPCs, not sure about the rest. Basically the answer is: No, NPCs won't be volunteering to join player orgs.

11:52 Q: Hello Chris, we all know that the ship damage mechanic is pretty detailed, but what about our characters? Will there be localized damage, different kinds of wounds and lasting effects (bleeding, broken bones)? What about field medicine and emergency treatment by S&R teams?

A: Yes. Localized damage. Limb damage system. Med packs and Med bays, can "save" characters.

13:30 Q: With regards to characters retiring or dying, will you be incorporating something to track the history of the characters? Or someway of creating an ancestral tree?

A: Yes. Galactepedia may have this.

14:45 Q: Will there be large scale dynamic events in the game such as full-scale war between the UEE and the Vanduul or Xi'an? It would be very cool to have such galaxy spanning events.

A: Yes. Definitely going to have large scale dynamic events in the game. Military and natural disasters that players can be affected by and participate in.

15:25 Q: I know you are working on a rating system that anyone can see how people have rated an individual. Is there going to be a way to tag people with ratings that either only you can see or you can see just your rating of the individual (rather than the average of everyone's)? That way if I have a really good encounter I can tag a player as a 5 star individual and then even if forget details or even the person's name, I will still know I tagged them as a 5 star individual if I run into them again?

A: Yes. Probably break it out so that you can see both the average rating and your own, if any.

16:24 Q: Will there be jump routes that simply are not traversable for the larger ships. Thinking something like an Idris + or Constellation + (size) might not be able to make this jump based on current mapping data where as an Aurora can make the jump without issue.

A: Yes. Details are still being worked out. Info runner being a smaller ship might be able to take a much direct route.

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 17
(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-21 - Another great 10 for the Chairman, inexplicably released early today.



2:56 Q: How will navigation or "astrogation" be handled in Star Citizen?

Nav points. Pre-defined or discovered by exploration. Jump Points between systems. Auto-pilot "fast travel".

Or just fly in a certain direction. Can explore to create or create new nav points.

6:07 Q: Will we be able to directly control translative movements (elevation, strafe) as well as Pitch/Roll/Yaw accel/decel? Will we have 6DoF, independent of fly by wire being active or not? Would a dual joystick setup be possible and configurable for this freedom of movement?

Fly by wire IFCS will actually never be off. Options to fly "normally" (wing commander or wwII style) or "decoupled" mode (strafe or newtonian style).

So basically, yes. Did not answer the Dual Joystick part.

9:04 Q: I was Origin Jump-works 300i and the other models are being tweaked to incorporate the community suggested changes, if so what changes will you make and how far in the works is it (big cheers to Chris Smith)?

Listen to all you guys and when things sense to us we (CIG) does make changes. Making changes to the Constellation (Cargo, Fighter, moving the living quarters forward)

300i seat is being to update the cockpit and the cargo, maybe a detachable external module?

10:54 Q: How is work on the ORIGIN M50 Interceptor coming along?

Quite well! In the process of modelling in engine. It's going to be different than the concept, being updated. Not toooo far off in the future. Possibly one of the next ships we see.

11:58 Q: So it seems like SQ42 might throw you in somewhat at the deep end, looking at the mining station footage ... and it got me to thinking about how to become a better pilot. Most games have some king of tutorial element either incorporated into the first few missions or as an out of game option. What do you plan for Star Citizen in this regard?

Dog Fighting Module would be the first iteration. But in SQ42 there is some of this in the first few missions. Wanted to avoid boring tutorials in SQ42

13:34 Q: How will the economy in the Persistent Universe handle inflation? Players always to feel like they're getting ahead for their time spent, and never want to lose something they've "earned". Money sinks like rent, repair costs, taxes, and mandatory consumables have been loudly denounced by players in other MMO games. But without countermeasures, inflation is inevitable and eventually game destroying. How will Star Citizen get the players swallow the bitter pill for better long-term health?

Do have money-sinks or "running costs" safe regulated areas have to pay for the protection. Hope this will balance, and they'll tweak as necessary. They are playing with it internally now. Intended to simulate the real world.

14:45 Q: Will the weapons produced for The Next Great Starship be available for purchase? If so when can we expect to see them available?

Good question. Not sure if the weapons will go into the game. Take that into consideration, perhaps winning team could go back and finish the weapon from CIG notes.

16:34 Q: Can we mount Class-4 turrets on Class 5 hardpoints if we're willing to sacrifice some firepower for remote turret control? Related to that, can we slave Class-4 turrets to particular gunnery stations?

Definitely yes to slaving manned turrets to internal gunnery stations. Maybe you can put different guns on the hardpoints but that depends on the spec of the ship. So that would be a no, unless the ship specifies it being flexible.

17:40 Q: With the upcoming damage states on the Hornet, which are pretty neat, I was wondering about the larger ships/capital ships. It sounds like a ton of work to do that detail of destruction for a little fighter, but can we expect a similar simulation on the Idris or Bengal Carrier?

Going to be pretty spectacular. Mix of procedural damage and modeled damage states.

18:28 Q: We know Organization will be able to Tax its members but where will that income come from? Will that stem from the missions within the 'verse or will the Org Tool cater to setting up salaries, additional contracts, bonus, and lump sum payouts in line with their own predefined structures?

Trading, missions or bounties. Orgs will also be able to pay out "dividends"

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 18

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-28 - First 10ftC since the dogfight reveal. Took a moment to show off some fan gifts acquired at the event. This week's Q&A covers asteroid belts, death of a spaceman, capital ships, wear and tear, social module, DFM release dates, and more.



2:27 Q: "Say I'm in a hornet taking damage and I need to open the canopy and get out before I'm killed. Now I'm in zero G in my EVA suit. How would I get back to a planet or space station? Do I need to wait for a rescue vessel?"

Yeah basically. Hit the "escape" to respawn after a TBD time. Cut scene for search and recovery. If you are rescued by friends there will likely be a benefit, but the haven't worked that out yet.

4:13 Q: "Regarding instances in PU. Since the changes we are gonna make in the universe will be permanent, what will happen if I accept a mission to hunt down an infamous pirate and someone else captures / kills him while I am on my way to the given coordinates?"

Mission would be no longer achievable, compete for the bounties. Just like in real life no reward for second place

5:14 Q: "My question relates to partial damage and repair. For example, if you lost your port wing in a dogfight which you were then able to win and limp home from, would the repaired starship have a bright and shiny port wing while the rest of the hull is somewhat weathered, or will repair be a general thing which restores your entire ship to showroom quality."

Haven't figured that entirely, repair would probably shiny up the ship a bit. Wear and tear is a global thing on the ship.

6:48 Q: "Will asteroid fields depicted forming a ring around a central star, or will be localized debris fields in a concrete region of a star system (as in 'Freelancer')?"

Combination of both.

7:55 Q: "Will there be a social module? If so, how we gonna talk to ppl? Voice, Text or something very new?"

Planetside module is that, yes. It is social Bar, Shops... Chat, Voice, Live Driver (Cam and voip lip-synching to the Avatar). Control to avoid people being obnoxious or rude and how to police that.

9:43 Q: "Will the DFM support any kind of lobby/match-making system? Will we be able to launch the 'simulator' with a bunch of friends or members of our associated organizations? Do we have the flexibility to set up matches with particular individuals that we add on a 'friends' list?"

Full lobby planned, automatch at first with 'private' games. Ranked matches would need to use the matchmaking system.

3rd week of May for full rollout for Arena Commander/DFM, probably.

11:35 Q: "I found that the 5mil pledge, gave us voice acting in squadron 42. I have searched far and wide for information on star citizen voice acting. My question therefore is, will Star Citizen be fully voice acted, partially or not at all?"

SQ 42 is a full motion capture epic. Similar to Wing Commander. On top of that Star Citizen NPCs will be voice acted and performance capture at times, varying quality. Start "shooting" in August of this year.

13:42 Q: "What happens to the bodies of players killed during boarding actions? Will they need to be physically dragged to the nearest airlock or will there be some other solution?"

Can recover bodies and take to med bay. You have a chance to revive and saving a "life". Death of a spaceman. Incentive to recover your wounded. If you abandon friend the body may separate. Don't want bodies to just magically dissapear.

15:50 Q: "The Constellation is listed as having a max crew of 4 but clearly there are plans to expand the 4 sleeping bays to 6 or are the 4 crew supposed to switch between positions depending on the situation?"

The idea is, four crew members. Options on were to sit.

16:50 Q: "In the past Wing Commander games, capital ships could not be damaged by traditional weapons and missiles. DO you see this being true in the Star Citizen persistent universe? For instance, would a Hornet fighter even be able to damage an Idris Corvette or Javelin Destroyer? Or would a Gladiator or Retaliator be needed to even in that fight?"

You would be able to do damage in a Hornet. No artificial constraints. A team of Hornets could potentially cripple a bigger ship. Gladiators and Retaliators would be optimal. (Question was clearly posted before the Idris became a Frigate. Chris did not correct that.)

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 19

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-05-05 - Chris Roberts appeared from behind of a stack of fan gifts to give us another episode of 10 for the Chairman.



4:15 Q: "Will there be collision in dogfight? If yes will the colliding ships sustain damage?"

A: Yes. Do sustain damage. Deceptive speed often leads to collisions. Moving a lot faster than you think.

5:14 Q: "When we buy another ship in game, do we trade in our old one if we want to? Also, on the old ships that might be traded in by other players, will we be able to buy used ships or are they taken down to their elements and sold as scrap metal?"

A: Yes, will likely have the option to trade in. Can purchase second hand ships. Used ship dealerships.

7:02 Q: How would max velocity at cruising not be energy efficient? If we are in space we are moving without friction and only the relative gravity fields of different celestial bodies acting upon our ships. We shouldn't be continually applying thrust because we won't be suffering from the effects of drag to slow us down. Are there then factors that we don't know of that will slow us down or cause our thrusters to constantly be firing?

A: Recap the auto pilot system. It is energy efficient in autopilot

8:56 Q: Will we be able to name our ships? If so, will this name be visible to others (decals, targeting information, etc.)?

A: Yes. Plan to have ships name on decal, and in targeting information. Won't be in Dogfighting module v1.

9:22 Q: Since you plan to add a comprehensive FPS element in the game, will there be missions in SC that will incorporate both ground and space objectives?

A: Yes. 100% Yes. For SQ42 and the PU.

10:14 Q: Will our characters have damage states? I don't mean missing limbs, etc. (although that would be interesting, having limbs replaced cybernetically) I mean that since there are usable toilets/showers in the whose use would be optional, would using them maintain a "cleaner" appearance, while lack of use would have you end up looking like a backwater unwashed space pirate?

A: Do have damage states, but this is more "cleanliness states". Aging states. Don't know about the cleaning thing, but is an interesting idea. Take that under advisement.

12:45 Q: Will we be able to modify our missile/torpedoes? Can we have the ability to make our missiles faster at the expense of explosive payload or slower but carry more explosives?

A: Not thinking you could modify, but you could buy different ordnance.

13:16 Q: After playing some frustrating BF4 today and living through the regular "netcode" problems that plague it, I wonder what plans are afoot to make SC as hack free as possible?

A: They are trying hard. Can't promise. Server authortative. Limited client simulation, if deviation occurs from the server simulation then they "lose trust in the client". This hopefully help remove cheaters capability.

15:10 Q: Hey Chris in my pledge I have a 3 inch Model of Spaceship, my questions are: Will we be able to chose which ship the model will be of and will we be able to buy more models without a pledge?

A: Model is of the Constellation. May be physical models of other ships available, but not cost effective so they are not sure.

17:03 Q: Can you tell us a little about your vision for the Command and Control (C & C) centers on the larger ships. What will the interface be like (2D map on a screen, 3D hologram)? How much control will the C&C have over the ships under his/her command (Waypoint and target assignment, etc.)?

A: Holograms, Click on them to get information, Tasking - NPC owned will do what you direct. PC ships get orders/requests, Also speaks to NPC crew

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 20

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-05-12 - Another episode of the always informative 10 for the Chairman with Chris Roberts.



1:15 Q: Will Players or Orgs be able to run their own medical facilities? Could we perhaps outfit a larger ship like a Caterpillar, Starfarer, or Idris as a mobile hospital? Could we offer those services to other players?

Short answer is Yes. Idris at least has medical facilities. Can save a "life" by patching up a wounded comrade.

2:45 Q: If someone is wanted dead or alive and you blow up their ship and they end up in the hospital with a cyborg arm (per death of a spaceman mechanic they still had "lives" left), do you det the dead bounty or not? Do you have to capture the mark most of the time (perhaps gravely wounded), unless you get lucky enough that they're mostly cyborg and croak after you vape them one more time?

Uhm, yes. You get the bounty. You don't have to get the final "life".

3:40 Q: If a multi-crewed ship such as the constellation is attacked unexpectedly, and crew members are in section which is breached, will they expire (assuming they are not in an EVA suit 24/7)?

Yes. You would have a small amount of time to get to safety or a suit.

4:25 Q: Hi Chris, tablet support was unlocked as a stretch goal (many millions ago) but you never mentioned how you think they will work. Have you and the team had any thought on what the use for tablets will be? Such as an extra screen, a way to mod your ship in and out of SC and access stores; or maybe a real world mobiglass for example. Also any ETA on release of the app?

Login manage inventory, look for "work"; organize business dealings. Not necessarily flying. Kind of current level tech version of mobiglass.

6:08 Q: As the leader of the mercenary company Rabbit's Raiders it is my responsibility to make sure that my squadron is combat ready. One thing that would certainly help us practice would be a multiplayer mission editor for the simulator/pvp arena. Does CIG currently have plans to create a user friendly mission editor to create custom scenarios?

Not right off the bat, but maybe down the road. Would need to wait until the game ships since that's the priority.

7:35 Q: Will the various systems have to obey the laws of orbital dynamics? That is, will a solar system's components be orbiting its sun? Therefore, if I leave a planet to do something off planet that planet will be somewhere else in its orbit when I want to return?

Gone back and forth on that one. They are now considering that in the double precision system map! Haven't made a final decision.

8:52 Q: Will flying in a formation provide any benefits such as a reduced radar signature?

Good question. Don't know. Think about it.

9:26 Q: Have you already started looking for VAs (Voice Actors) to do the voice cast for the PU and SQ42? If so can you give us a hint at who to expect?

Do not to answer it yet. Yes people who have worked with Chris in the past and think there will be some fun people?

10:23 Q: I was wondering how the team will be handling the borders of the known systems. Will there be an an 'invisible barrier' if one were hit the edge that would just stop the ship or would my ship just keep going?

Just keep flying. No edge.

10:57 Q: Will scams be possible / allowed in game? Will we have to be always suspicious of other players and their intentions, thus keeping us in a state of constant paranoia of other players? Or will there be a mechanic to make scams impossible, for example not allowing direct player-to-player sales and forcing players to buy from and sell to only NPCs?

Thinking there will be several levels. Trade between players will be allowed, but maybe taxed. Mission ratings system may apply. Reseller ratings. To a certain extent may have to be suspicious. They will likely be handling the brokering. Sale window?

Closing comments thanking backers for being patient (and perhaps subtly urging them?) while they finish up the DFM Arena Commander.

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 21
(Citizen Star News) - 2014-05-19 - Chris joins us in his shiny new Arena Commander t-shirt to serenade us with info.



2:58 Q: Will we see the effects of different levels of gravity in the FPS part of the game? I know that you're going to support zero-G environments, how about high-G or low-G environments such as a moon base? Will we walk with a heavier tread, or a spring in our step?

A: Full gravity system in the CryEngine. So that is settable. Magnetic boots as well. Animations may need to be adjusted.

4:27 Q: One of my favorite themes in space sci-fi is the danger that comes from isolation in deep-space and the total reliance on the ship/tech you've used to get there. Star Citizen is focused on dogfighting, and that's super great, but outside of that core mechanic will there be experiences where the biggest danger isn't pirates or bounty-hunters, but rather the environment itself? Perhaps during deep-space exploration or mining?

A: Yes! Absolutely. Chris went on to describe scenarios and SQ42 mission.

6:25 Q: Part of what excites me is the business / manufacturing /distribution possibilities of the game. Particularly in and around the design of new things, like new ships. Will you ever build a "ship design / building" module into the game where players (if they have the means) can design, manufacture, and try to sell a new ship? (or potentially use them for their own purposes).

A: They want to do this. Persistent Universe needs to be curated though. This is why TNGS is happening. They are exploring ways to do this long term.

9:26 Q: Docking with other ships using the corral was on my mind. With most of the ships, the standard docking corral is in a funny place - you can't see it from cockpit. Will the docking sequence be automatic or will we be able to manually navigate our ships to dock with each other?

A: Always be able to use the flight computer to autodock. Docking collars just need to be close enough. You CAN manually dock as well.

10:20 Q: Will ships in DFM come with a manual? If so, will each ship type have a different manual?
How similar are control functions across the different ship types?

A: Hadn't planned to give a manual, but has fond of memories of "Claw Marks" Wing Commander manual. May see what can be done. Control functions operate more or less the same, particularly on the fighters. Although the ships will handle differently.

11:45 Q: Why was the decision made to not have a traditional 'friends' list' in star citizen, and instead go with multiple organizations?

A: They thought a flat org list is essentially a friends list. Sounds like they haven't really absorbed the criticism on this.

12:44 Q: I'd like to know what your current ideas are for the "Planet-Side" Module. Will we just have the ability to land and explore the planet, or will you have in-depth interaction with the environment, e.g. If It's a city environment, will there be shops/bars and such that we could use? Or will that be released in the later game stages? Chris Roberts, You the Man!

A: Step out of the hangar to shop or go to the bar. Planetside module is a test grounds to build on this. Add more as they go along. 450 Landing locations. Procedural may be used here.

15:10 Q: Will a player always know who the were killed by? Will you know who placed a bounty on you if a bounty hunter takes you out?

A: You may not know who hired the bounty hunter. Probably would know who pulled the trigger. May be able to look at the public bounty contracts to see more info.

16:10 Q: Could there be a possibility of a weekly or even daily news show about current events in the verse that include interactions between players (for instance, pirate raids or organizations declaring war on each other) and NPCs (Operation Pitchfork, the UEE's most wanted, or alien race interactions?) What about the possibility of player ran broadcasts, like between 2 space ferns with Wingman, or the Dread Pirate Roberts' (literal) pirate radio?

A: Live Team is charged with development. In fiction news show you would see in bars (and perhaps on the website). CIG teams would make news reports. Likes the idea of player run broadcasts. See what can be done with that.

18:34 Q: Will asteroids and other mineable resources be finite as the would be in real life or will the regenerate over time?

Intend to do finite. Regeneration will come as new systems are introduced and discovered. If things get mined out right away they may need to rethink. Mining out a field will take a significant period of time.

 

10 For the Chairman - Episode 23
(Citizen Star News) - 2014-06-02 - Chris gets right to it and dives into the questions.



1:00 Q: Have question regarding hangar use. My friends and I have a small organization and we were wondering if we could use each other's hangars once the are placed in the game? IE when on Terra we all would use Bob's hangar and when on Corel we use Frank's etc. Or are Org Hangars the only way?

Designed to have private hangars and shared hangers. So no. Org Hangars only.

2:05 Q: How will racing with g-forces? With the recent reveal of the ability to fade out, or black out from many g's, will we have to fly our fast racing ships slower, or will there be some kind of system in place to prevent excessive g-force?

A lot of tools to manage this, but managing your safety will be a big part of racing.

3:45 Q: I watched Return of the Jedi the other night and thought to myself how cool it would be to have some friends planetside taking out a shield generator while some other friends are taking care of business in space. Will Star Citizen contain these kind of Missions?

Not sure about the planetside part of it, but yes. There will be that kind of "combined arms" missions.

5:08 Q: What is your stance on mods that would be client side only in the presistent universe like the tmorph add-on for world of warcraft where it allows you to look like any race, gender, gear setup. etc I know that these mods could be used to abuse certain loopholes in coding withing the game but I still am curious if something like this would be allowed or considered a bannable offense in either case of being used for fun or attempting to abuse the game.

Cosmetic is fine, but cheat would be bannable. That said they might have protections against client modifications

5:32 Q: Chris, some months ago CIG mentioned a technology collaboration with Warhorse games, makers of the kickstarter Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Can you give us an update on what CIG and Warhorse are learning from each other and how complementary tech will enhance both games?

Very nice tech around how the NPCs all wear different clothes and clothing layer. Attachment systems to character and body. Discussing each other's AI.

8:03 Q: Chris, after a year of subscribing, we get our name in the game. Will we be able to search through a database and find it, or could we potentially play this game for years without finding it?

No database. Have a cool an obvious place. Pretty important place, so shouldn't be too hard to find.

8:54 Q: If a player has several ships, including a Cutlass, on one character slot, will the player be able to select whether to use the Asteroid Hangar as opposed to one of the other starting hangars? If so, will, all of the ships that fit in a Deluxe Hangar also fit into the Asteroid Hangar?

All the ships that fit in Deluxe do fit into Asteroid. Debate on going about being able to select hangars.

9:44 Q: How will you be able to get your citizenship if you opt out of Squadron 42?

Military service isn't the only way. Buy your way in. Or could Perform jobs or missions to increase your status with the UEE.

10:39 Q: With ranked ladder play announced for Arena Commander, do you plan to balance the ships in AC separately from the PU. So as an example, a Hornet used for ranked Arean play would be more strictly controlled balance wise than the PU Hornets.

Good question. Certainly using the AC to balance the ships. AC has a handicapping system.

12:50 Q: We know there will be a rep system for our own characters: Will Orgs also have rep as well?

Yes. And your character's rep is based on your rep with other organizations (including NPC ones, like UEE).

 

10 For the Chairman - Episode 24
(Citizen Star News) - 2014-06-09 - Chairman, Chris Roberts, answers your burning questions.



1:00 Q: We ave known for a while that hull breaches will be in the game. Will we be able to use large hull breaches as EVA entry points when boarding? If so, will multi-crew ships be limited to one or two predetermined hull breach areas, or will we be able to create entry points roughly where we fire our weapons?

Generally hull breach is going to be limited to areas they choose before hand. Too much work to do to do damage states like that.

2:20 Q: How will stars work? When flying around a solar system and you get close up to a star, do you need to increase power to the shields to mitigate the radiation and the heat? And will there be solar flares where suddenly the radiation levels spike and you need to adjust shields accordingly? Or will they be just sitting there without any special mechanics?

They can kill you, if you dive into it. But mostly you just don't go there. Cool idea on the flares.

3:20 Q: What kind of tools will we have to reduce purchase risk of various items? For instance, I want a tool that lets me enter in specs for suit/ship/engines/position in ship and have it spit out the % throttle the person at that position in ship will black out. This will help me buy the suit/ship/engines that best suits my flying and purposes without having to randomly experiment by buying everything.

Not sure about the tools. Community itself may break all that down.

4:45 Q: I was wondering about the banking system in the PU. You've said before that people will be able to take out loans to buy their first ship, but how will this be paid back? If you miss a payment, do you get a bad credit score or bounty hunters sent after you?

If it's a loan on the ship, possibly auto-"garnished", not sure how this is all going to work yet.

6:36 Q: Will our cyborg-limbs be repairable? Would they be damaged during a fight or anything else? And if so, what will we have to do to fix them?

Yes repairable, yes damaged during fights. There will be cyberneticists to repair. Similar to doctors and medbays.

7:23 Q: So we know there will be some kind of organic questing system for UEE worlds and systems, but my question is will there be something similar for pirates, smugglers or anyone else living outside of UEE law and questing for other reasons than to balance a system's resources? Or will it end up being completely free-form and we have to choose targets ourselves in a less structured way?

They are modeling illicit underground economic activity as well. Answer would be Yes.

8:30 Q: What non-Chris Roberts games have influenced Star Citizen's concepts, ships, mechanics, and etc.?

Demon Souls - value of having something that you can lose.

Battlefield over Call of Duty, combined arms cooperative.

Star Craft (II) - resource management

Uncharted, Last of US - Fidelity, Level of detail.

11:25 Q: Can a player organization be classed as a terrorist organization by UEE? So its members are attacked on sight in UEE space?

Definitely possible. Should try to be careful.

12:00 Q: Could you maybe shed some light on what you have planned for our solar system in PU? How many planets, moons, asteroids belts can we expect to see? Ballpark.

42? (No, he didn't say that. He missed the opportunity.) Wondering if mean Sol system? Going to model pretty much as it is. Try to make it interesting whatever solar system, can't really put a number on it. (42!)

13:05 Q: I would like to know how you plan to implement NPC communication. Such as a system in mass effect or dragon age. Or will you try to implement a system like SOCOM or end war where the menu system is voice controlled.

Wing Commander/Privateer model in space. Set of standard actions based on hailing a ship. Planetside, voice conversation. Pick inner thoughts, perhaps. Action and body language. Live driver may be a part of this. Looking someone in the eyes seem to be a major part of this (Mouse control? Live driver? Seems pretty undecided with just a bit of a vision of how he wants it).

 

10 for the Chairman - Episode 25

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-06-16 - Freshly returned from the Squadron 42 summit, Chris Roberts takes a few moments to fill us in and answer a few questions. Quite an extended intro today speaking to IFCS, Flight Model and Physics. First Question isn't until 16 minutes into the video.



4:20 - Talking about IFCS, Flight Model and Physics. (No question, just something he wanted to talk about.) Quite a few minutes on the "nuance" of pilot induced overcorrection, and this concept of breaking in a car. Momentum and inertia in turns. He even works in and chuckles on his new nickname, "Crash" Roberts.

The COMM-LINK he was referring to as upcoming, can be cound HERE.

16:02 Q: Will we be able to scale the output and cap the max output of any individual or set of thrusters on the fly? So When I slam on joystick instead of the thruster firing at full force, it maxes out at whatever I told it to?

Have the ability to set the power to that subsystem. So sort of. Chris seemed to like the concept.

17:00 Q: Now that Arena Commander is out and feedback from players is pouring in, what are you guys taking away from it?

Largely around the flight model. Need to better at explaining it and tweaking it. Control modes. Aware that not pleasing everybody.

19:20 Q: Within S42, will players be able to interact with other players in the bar or other public areas on the ship to swap combat stories or to look for a potential PC wingman for their next mission? I think this would be a great in-lore way of handling the PC wingman mechanic you described.

Squadron 42 is Coop or Single Player. So no not really. Persistant Universe is were this comes in. (Or potentially the Planetside/Social Alpha that Chris didn't mention. SQ42 should start before Planetside based on most recent information though.)

20:24 Q: With the release of AC can we get an update on the progress of trackIR integration? And I was alos wonding the reasoning behind supporting the Rift (which is only a dev build atm) before that of the TrackIR which is released and available to all?

Admits the Rift captured the team's attention. Track IR is definitely coming.

22:25 Q: With all of the excitement around DFM, I am personally more interested in the Galactapedia. Do you have an estimated date on when the subscribers can begin updating/editing/reviewing the information there? I really want to star reading up more on the lore.

Don't have a date. Maybe more next month with a new website? 3d views of the ships and etc, as well as be the basis for these new features.

23:25 Q: Will there be opportunities in the first person experience to perform covert actions? For example, if a trader is not paying attention while loading cargo into his ship to ferry supplies to his organization's Bengal carrier, could I as a player hide in one of the cargo containers, smuggle myself on board the carrier, and the perform acts of sabotage on vital systems in order to make it easier for my own organization to attack the ship?

"That is a pretty awesome scenario." PVE will definitely would have this possibility. Don't want to have "unauthorized" PvP on planets at this point. It's an interesting goal. Don't think this will be possible at first release. Maybe later on, still under discussion.

25:40 Q: Can you share some details on how you came to the current balance between mouse and other controls? Like what does the team believe are the current pros and cons between the control schemes? Is there perhaps something that the general user base has missed?

Everybody at CIG fly on a whole different control schemes. All the controllers are viable. Not happy with the mouse control. Not happy to combine fly and look. But that's what the have now. Still thinking about different ways to do things.

27:44 Q: While planetside aspects are down the road still, I was wondering about famous "monsters" of the galaxy. Star Wars has the Rancor, the Wampa, and the Krayt Dragon - will we be seeing similar monsters on SC worlds? Also, while I have the utmost respect for the law at ALL times, could a person of lesser moral standard organize hunts of outlawed species?

Don't know about "hunts of outlaw species", but in the PVE there should be some "monsters" as well as pirates. May not be day one.

29:19 Q: Once the PU is live, will making modifications & repairs to your ships remain instant, or will there be a wait time imposed. For example I would imagine that swapping out the Power Plant or Engines on Connie would not be a 5 second job, i.e how would it balance immersion vs fun?

Not sure made a decision on it. Repairs will potentially have delays, maybe big modifications on big ships. Say 50 hours (compressed?) game time perhaps. Notification on your mobiglass.

31:04 Q: One of my favorite features in Arena Commander Already is the computerized voice indicators. Will we be able to customize our own personalities into our ships AI or is this more of a stretch goal? Also if you find time in your busy schedule would you consider having a go at voice acting? I would love nothing that to hear my ship computer cry out "This is Bullshit" right as I punch out.

They are going to have the ability to have different voice sets. He will be in Star Citizen/SQ42 somewhere, not sure were yet.