News: Wingmans Hanger

Wingman's Hangar Episode 62
(Citizen Star News) - 2014-03-26 - Major things happening in the Network back-end for the DFM. Some really good news that they've got this working outside of the LAN. Youtube is trailing a while these days on deploying vids, so will be publishing this story based on notes from watching the live feed and updating later.

Studio Report: Behavior, focus on the Asteroid Hangar and the Room System
Introduced by Chris. Sandi, on site in Montreal, shows off her linguistic skills by greeting us in French. Sandi is known to speak several languages.

Seed system. Modular design prefabs.

Room system Mobiglass used to create new rooms and access the station servers. Order, Pay, wait out the construction time, and then you'll get a notice that your new room is finished.

Caterpillar and constellation being the biggest they can fit. A lot of mentions of the Cat.

Fly through "ceiling door"

Forum Feedback
- Do we have a team in place to combat cheaters
Under discussion. Aware of it, and have that in mind.

- What kind of controller support DFM v1
Start out with HOTAS support. No guarantee on all rigs.

- Private Servers
Freelancer game style - private servers will be smaller scale than the PU.

- How will aspiring bounty hunters track our targets
Person of Interest

- Avenger discussed features that don't appear to be in the final design: Wings folding. And folding jump seats behind the main seat on a single seat Avenger
Didn't make it to current design, those were possible features along the way. Could possibly happen on variants.

- Squadron 42, how will it be handled if someone plays one or two missions and then goes to the PU? May still be active military? Can go back into Squadron 42?
Doesn't sound like this will be allowed at all. Rob mentioned Squadron 42 will finish before the PU goes live.

- Is there one Criminal code for the whole universe or will each system?
UEE will have a consistent rule set, But local may have additional. Banu and Xi'an would definitely have their own code.

- Can someone steal ships planetside?
Most planets are safe place. There may be some exceptions. (One would expect this to be rather explicitly called out.)

- Do the players need to eat sleep and use the toilet?
No. Not fun gameplay. Not required.

Most Valuable Post
Synnik. "Scenario 9: Mining Hazards"

Fan Focus
Mr. Phelps "CIG/SC Movie Mash-ups"

Interview: Mark Skelton
Sporting the actual gold shirt, and greating us with a "Hazy Thought".

Speaks to us on the subject of working with Behavior in Montreal. Skype Meetings twice a week. Room system is currently in the "Grey Box" stage. Some detail, but a ways from release. Allow the user to add rooms and place things within those rooms. Personalization. Man-cave. Bathrooms. Where are going to put your crap?

Next week is Turbulent with a focus on the Organization system.

 

(Citizen Star News) 2014-04-02
Wingman's Hangar Episode 63
Wingman's Hangar Episode 63 Streamed from twitch. Publishing my notes as we wait for the video to appear on YouTube. This story will be updated shortly after. As a note, the stream was choppy for me and even had to be restarted a few times. May have missed a few things.

Featuring

• Turbulent - A look at the Organizations upcoming changes
• Forum Feedback
• Interview with John Irskin

Week in Review
Working hard getting ready for Pax East

Discussing the TNGS - Dogfighting Team Update, stressing that it was about the team not the DFM

New hires

Voice over actors shown for a moment.

Idris is now a Frigate ... Dun... Dun.. Dun!

Shroud of the Avatar Crossbow

Studio Report: Turbulent
Organizations

ReCap on where they are now.

2nd Drop Divisions and Jobs

Org Chart Job Functionality (Drop 1.5)

Bring in more Role Play. Allow Shared ownership.

Multi-Org seperate drop for Multi-Org, will be a primary Org, and then associations & affiliations including hidden affiliations.

Alliance and War Systems on the roadmap. (I thought Chris said no on that, so that's serious news)

Sandi talked about a "secret" Million Mile High Club

Forum Feedback
Q: Earn Credits in the DFM? Or do we need to go through the pledge store?

No credits in DFM v1. Yes on the long run, as the DFM becomes the Arean mode of the PU.

Q: Interactive events?

No us vs them, but interactive Dev

Q: Keep Orgs or allow Fleets Squadrons Etc?

Let players decide, org is the generic "blanket" term. Your org can be a fleet or squadron or whatever else you decide. Upcoming additional functionality will allow more flexibility of how you self-organize.

Q: What happens if a Founder rogue, boot all the citizens and take all the corp assets.

No plans to interfere, we'll have to see. Plan on tools to allow you to decide and manage risks.

Video question from Kinshadow

Q: Make a bomber look a fighter, disguise our ships.

Tuck away turrets, Electroskin can change the skin on the fly. And change the ID.

Q: Tevarin ships in the PU? Defeated alien race.

Not many left in the Verse. Tevarins drove them all into the Sun. Hint that it may be possible to find a few.

Q: UEE Interference. If a war between corps happens will the UEE interfere?

Yes. If they know about it, and it's in their territory.

Q: Will Alien ships use the same type of fuel?

Still discussing.

Q: Will there be other Single Player Campaigns after release of SQ42?

Yes

Q: Upgrade Cutlass to have a Hookah and puffy red couches? Character with gold shirt?

No Mark Skelton packages on the release schedule. But who knows what could happen.

MVP
Byronyk Star Guides | Trade Ship Guide

Fan Focus
Org video - Nexus Security ad by Reev Jax

Interview
John Irskine here to talk about Organizations

Modules will interact with the Organizations in different ways.

There have been small improvements in the background, capacity and infrastructure.

Guiding principle "Don't want to enable organizations to create bad experiences for people, but do want them to create interesting experiences"

Secret Orgs - Affiliate relationships can be private. But they can tell that you are in another org, just not which one?

No blanket policies set. So you can't keep people from joining other orgs, but if you are vigilant you can tell that happened.

Other website updates:

State of the game section

Leaderboard system (Including Org vs Org)

 

Wingman's Hangar Episode 64

(Citizen Star News)- 2014-04-09 - On the eve of the PAX East Event, and the Dog Fighting Module reveal, Eric Peterson joins us for another Wingman's Hangar. This one a bit short as everything is being thrown at getting the DFM ready.

Studio Update focuses on the DFM. With gameplay footage!



Crunching for dogfighting, working on getting a stable build for PAX East. Live stream probably on twitch or at the RSI web server.

No 10ftC next week. Chris is too busy.

DFM - Looking good but a lot of work left to do

New Hires
Heidi Frohling - QA
Jason Cobb - joins full time as Audio Technical Designer

Studio Update
The DFM. With footage. Laundry list of bad things happening along the way debugging this thing. But when it works it looks good. This was a nice bit of expectation management and an attempt to let us know how difficult things are. Very exciting, looking great when it works, but clearly going to need some time to be released.

Forum Feedback
Rob busy with the DFM, they are going to roll over the questions into next week.

MVP
Hammertime, can't touch this. (That joke might make more sense when you watch the segment.)
Octavious - "Big Starship Classifications Compared to Naval's"

Fan Focus
Our friend Bridger, who we've often featured here, and the "Sound Strategy Network" youtube channel.

Interview
Everyone is working on the dogfighting module, so no guest

Close with fan gifts

 

Wingman's Hangar Episode 65

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-16 - Another great episode of Wingman's Hangar. A little shorter than usual, but to be expected with everything going on. No studio update or interview, just the other usual elements. Good Forum Feedback.



Week Recap

TNGS

New Hires

• Stephen Rutherford - Sound Designer - Foundry 42
• Ricky Jutley - Production - Foundry 42

Asteroid Hangar PBR quick preview

PAX East - Great time, not completely, next one in Germany. Cannot thank you enough for your enthusiasm and support.

Forum Feedback

2:52 Q: NPCs in the Verse: Do they get better at their jobs.

They will get better, but different NPCs have different caps, different potentials.

3:32 Q: Possibility to infiltrate police and LEOs? Can't imagine such a universe without corruption.

Corruption is possible in the verse, but it won't be players. LEO needs to be a tool for CIG keep certain types of players in check.

4:22 Q: Idris be able to land in space stations or planets?

Not sure yet. Given the changes to frigate has put it all in question.

5:04 Q: Will be able to develop our own HUD designs and release them to the Verse.

Short answer No. Very complicated, so probably not.

6:00 Q: Missiles dodged or evade? Evasions by flight skill aside from countermeasures, asteroids, and flares?

Yeah, sort of. Countermeasures best bet, but the missiles have a max flight time then explode.

6:46 Q: Certificates? For certain jobs? Medical, Search & Rescue, Bounty Hunting

No merit badges. More of reputation thing. No gating licences

7:38 Q: Are there plans to introduced g-force tolerant flight suits?

Yes. They have plans to offer suits that counter act some aspects of this.

8:15 Q: Cockpit design different on salvaged restored/sold ships?

No not really. Not running into random one off ships all that often. Making a ship is a big deal.

10:00 Q: Capture planets as bases? Set Landing fees etc? How will other

Not whole planet ownership to start. This would be more space stations, and there would be boarding actions and clearing out your opponents

10:45 Q: "This is bullsh*t" t-shirt requested

Awesome moment in the reveal. Chris said no.

11:58 Q: Rob's "Parker Terrel for Imperator" t-shirt gift from David Haddock.

MVP
Amun Khonsu - UFO Sightings (Actual Photos)

Upcoming

• DFM v1 is the future focus.
• TNGS back from hiatus, some previews
• Dog Fight Recap coming up. Chris Roberts will take us on a deeper tour.

 

Wingman's Hangar Episode 66
(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-23



Cinematic Summit ongoing in Austin
Budgets are larger than expected, 1000 page script, may need to be cut down a bit. Chris estimated $10 million to shoot with performance capture. Wing Commander was 400 pages, which is about were Chris wants it.

Forum Feedback w/ Chris and Erin
(Actually Eric cleverly combined the interview with the forum feedback, switching back and forth between forum questions and some of his own.)

Q: Insurance replacement for ships lost during the commission of a crime. How is that going to work?

Pirate insurance may cover the item insurance, but yes outside of Hull insurance - Customization & Item Insurance and Cargo Insurance will be hard to get paid off on in that case. May also be hard for the victim if they are operating in "risky" space.

Q: Will player be able to own items that create items? Approval process?

Can own economic nodes, which can create items. Custom items will probably not part of this system. Nodes/factories may have set production types. Certainly not custom items that do not exist yet in game.

Q: Will we be able to customize our ground "FPS" weapons? Scopes etc.

Yes. Planning to have the same sort of customization as for ships.

Q: Mining Colony

Shubin mining base -- Building out the whole interior of the 6 km station. White boxing finished in the next few weeks. All this will all be in the final game (Persistent Universe) as well.

Q: Updates to private servers, can we cherry pick updates?

Asset packs, yes sounds like that is possible. Updates sound like they will be a bit manual.

Q: Heavy vehicles such as "tanks"? Can you use your ship as a bomber?

Yes capital ships. Idris and Retaliator. Big plans in SQ42 and that should translate to the Persistent Universe. Not much near term for tanks.

Q: Time in the PU, 1 day equals 1 day?

Don't think 1 day equals 1 day? Scaled time? Each day be 2 hours of real time?

Q: Fuel usage

Fuel drives maneuvering jets and thrusters, more than one fuel type. Hydrogen the basic. Vendors. Metagame/resource management on your fuel.

Q: Selling in game items credits, grey market, make money off the game.

Chris - I don't mind the innocent stuff... doesn't like the "chinese gold farmer" and will try to inhibit that. Would like someone to be able to make UEC from something like being the best weapon overclocker. Whether or not you'd be able to transfer that into real dollars is complicated, and too early to say.

Q (from Eric): Have been playing games togethere a long time. What was the most fun Erin, Chris, and Eric all playing together?

Chris - Command and Conquer

On the live stream, sound cut out at this point, as they switched to Ben for ...

MVP
Hop Tzop - Time capsule lore as PDF

TNGS Update

 

Wingman's Hangar Episode 67

(Citizen Star News) - 2014-04-30 - New set? Yes, we begin with Fast forward of them putting it together.



Studio Report - Inside the Community Team
Sandi Gardiner, VP of Marketing, talks to us about her marketing strategy from the beginning of the Kickstarter campaign.

Ben Lesnick about how he was brought in early, as he had been "keeping the faith alive" around Wing Commander

William Lewis, the new guy, Lead Moderator. Also handling LA/Santa Monica office tours

James Pugh, Assistant Community Manager

Forum Feedback
Rob is back, barely made it.

Q: How would the UEE handle players finding a Bengal and running a UEE Carrier?

They will be found out on the Fringes. Derelict fixer upper. Will likely be ignored as long as they stay on the fringes. Won't be able to bring back? Rob does not answer what happens if you do insist.

Q: Stasis vs Game Time

Respawn options, captured PCs become NPCs when respawned, trying to avoid situations were you can't play since you are in stasis.

Q: Fourth Land option on Earth was a stretch goal, where is it? Has it been chosen?

Not defined yet.

Q: Would we need to spend money on R&D in our factories, if yes can we share it?

Factory upgrades aren't really R&D but instead facility upgrades. Better equipment and such. May eventually have an R&D mechanic, but that's not currently planned.

Q: Pirates kill PCs, they respawn and can report? How does that work?

If you kill someone in UEE space, then people will know. If away from the communications infrastructure, then even if you know who did it you may not be able to "press charges" because you don't have enough evidence. May be a minigame of find the transponder or black box, so you can prove your attacker is the pirate you say he is.

Q: Character have their own name? Relationship to handle?

Characters have their own name. Some of this has not been fully worked out yet but there is a COMM-LINK on it.

Q: SQ42 Add on missions? Available in the PU or Coop?

Will be missions in the PU, but SQ42 addons will be Coop/Single Player.

Q: If we get killed in space does the ship stay there?

Eventually despawn, but not quickly.

Q: Test drive ships? Fly before you buy?

No. No plans, although subscribers get test drive token.

Q: Santa Monica has the best dogfighters in the company?

They've been the main team developing it, so have been dogfighting the longest. So maybe? While defending Austin's honor and capability, Rob and Eric grudgingly gave that honor to Santa Monica ...for now.

Most Valuable Post
Will and James, no Ben this week.

Angry Peas - 'The Verse' Board Game

Interview
David Swafford CIG Media Relations

(Good guy, we've talked a bit. - Ed.)

Recapping his experience at the beginning of the campaign.

What is Media Relations?

Awesomeness of the community.

Relationship with the media.

Closing
Preview of TNGS

Fan Gifts

See you in the 'Verse!