Star Citizen fans watched another Around The Verse stream yesterday, and we’re here to recap all the juicy details. Check out the Anvil Hurricane ship that’s on sale today, and learn what’s being done to improve interaction and damage systems in the game.
First and foremost is a total rejuvenation of the old Grabby Hands system. As described by Senior Producer Eric Davis, the new implementation will be based on director Chris Roberts’ initial vision for object use. “Taking our initial Grabby Hands idea and incorporating it with the inner thought system has created a ton of new options for designers to begin exploring. From looting, to shopping, to hanging out at the bar. It should be a lot of fun,” Roberts said.
In a similar vein of expanding on what’s already known, Star Citizen’s damage system is still being overhauled too. While certain ships currently show more detailed destruction, the plan is to migrate that model to all the game’s vehicles and objects in the universe. “This work is much more than just a port,” Davis insisted. “Networking, persistence and VFX functionality will be improved and it also extends destructibility to a broader class of entities including props.” Speaking of props, work is also being done to ensure that they upgrade correctly and respond to changing gameplay conditions including stealth.
The oft-discussed scanner system, believed to be in alpha 3.0, is also developing in tandem with radar tweaks. With it, players will be able to seek out other users as well as key environmental objects.
Like most Around The Verse streams, this one got very technical at times. Those who want the full scoop can watch the clip above, but we’ll save you some time. Barring complex explanation, Davis and his team have implemented several updated systems to make the development process faster. This relates to rapid streaming of elements, conditions to load only the most necessary assets and databases to make asset editing significantly quicker.
This obviously doesn’t mean Star Citizen will be ready for public release anytime soon, but effort is certainly being put towards streamlining the creative process.
Something that is coming today, however, is the new Anvil Hurricane ship. Its cost and specs are currently not known, but those details are expected to be revealed over the next few hours.
Star Citizen is available in alpha now for backers on PC.
What did you think of the latest Around The Verse stream? Are you going to spend some money on Star Citizen’s new ship? Tell us in the comments section!
