Star Citizen: A Spacefaring Dream?
"The future is now," they say. Is Star Citizen that future? Maybe, or maybe not, but certainly a massive project with big ambitions. Let's explore this ambitious, fascinating, and slightly overwhelming universe.
Introduction
Star Citizen, a massively multiplayer online game (MMORPG), has been talked about extensively since 2012. Players, including myself, are excited about building and flying, but also uncertain. Is it worth the money?
Early Success & The Hype
Star Citizen’s creators have garnered considerable public support and investment from thousands (and possibly millions) of dedicated followers. Their dedication (like my own) is amazing and infectious. I think the initial hype (understandable considering this game was born from huge fanbase dedication) certainly fueled it.
Early Development Challenges
Of course, initial development stages were (are still) not without their hiccups, technical issues, delays. Everyone's (my personal included!) frustrated with development timetables and ongoing financial concerns. People (including me) need the confidence of their project to stay invested.
Crowdfunding: A Risky Business
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Crowdfunding was an important fundraising strategy, enabling many gamers, investors (similar to my personal desire to make a purchase as a huge follower!), to get in on the ground floor (which I was hoping to do), to put their money on the space-faring potential and help shape future aspects of Star Citizen.
The Funding Structure Breakdown (Table 1):
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Question 1:
How sustainable is this funding method when there isn't much guarantee (in the form of the promised final game product?)
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What Makes It Special
It offers unprecedented freedom in design and customizing aspects, not something available with the typical MMO genre of games. For instance, players can fly around in the vast digital skies or in ships of their own. (Imagine flying your own plane in a realistic setting!). People can create characters and navigate their story in a highly-developed fictional space exploration universe, which (I've discovered!) sounds fascinating and unique. This is, I believe, the fundamental selling point and what makes Star Citizen captivating to me.
Player Experiences (and concerns):
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Players feel a strong emotional connection with the project due to the active, and (let's be frank) very public progress in development of this exciting project, which makes all players hopeful in regards to this exciting (and sometimes slow) process!
Reviews (mixed results):
There have been (and continue to be) many positive and enthusiastic reviews from the player community! "Love the world. Such ambition", said one player online. On the other hand, some experiences have fallen short of expected results; certain frustrations are frequently repeated, like the often lengthy and sometimes infuriating loading periods.
Some players point to incomplete, unfinished features and features that were promised during funding but never delivered as (significant) complaints. And honestly, that's a tough thing when investing money, knowing a large chunk of that purchase is 'promise'.
Q2:
Are there sufficient (visible) development and transparency indicators available to the fanbase/community (which, obviously, fuels and funds the future development itself) that keeps expectations balanced?
What to Expect (Future Possibilities)?
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The project's sheer size is somewhat intimidating to newer followers (such as myself!). Many speculate a truly amazing digital world (almost a miniature 'space-reality').
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Additional Comments/Hypotheses:
This expansive project may prove too big, with all of the systems (ships, factions, trading, exploration) all working and connected harmoniously and smoothly!
Is it Worth It?
This project has the potential to be extraordinary, as much as I personally dream, given it all works in reality! That means the level of ambition, scope, the dedication involved in this enormous process! (which has personally moved and challenged me). However, the unpredictable time constraints (development delays) make me concerned, too. (that's also why I'm personally conflicted regarding a purchase myself!)
Weighing the factors (Personal Perspective):
- Amazing concept: This really captures one's imagination, providing an incredible universe.
- Technical challenges: Development and design aspects have to mature and come together; this is vital for future expansion!
- Frustrating updates: It feels that there needs to be some compromise (from the development and from the players as well) when it comes to feature rollout!
Ultimately, my decision boils down to my personal dedication as a player: Do I value having the power to shape a world, (to be a participant, or in some way a creator)? It is a commitment, however; the level of time and passion is something I feel could really pay off or backfire. The level of expectation may be somewhat disproportionate from reality.
Conclusion
Star Citizen remains a monumental project. Whether it becomes the next great MMO depends on several crucial factors. A good balance, it seems, is key to a satisfying player experience. Maintaining consistent communication (more so) with the fanbase is equally important. Are there solutions in order? I hope this in-depth look gives you more of a better perspective! (that hopefully may inspire and assist you to make an informed decision on what will and should become of Star Citizen.)
