{"id":1366,"date":"2013-12-23T09:30:34","date_gmt":"2013-12-23T16:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?p=1366"},"modified":"2013-12-23T00:19:08","modified_gmt":"2013-12-23T07:19:08","slug":"state-of-the-empire-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?p=1366","title":{"rendered":"State of the Empire, #5"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the last State of the Empire for 2013, at least, barring any major surprise announcements from CIG during Christmas week. \u00c2\u00a0I&#8217;ll be taking the week off to spend playing video games&#8230; I mean, with my family doing family things.<\/p>\n<p>Plenty of news coming out from CIG this week, culminating in the 1 year anniversary of Wingman&#8217;s Hangar, and of course, the live stream on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Monday started it out with the official <a href=\"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/transmission\/13432-Letter-From-The-Chairman-On-Dogfighting\" target=\"_blank\">announcement<\/a> that the Dog Fighting Module will not be released this month, instead it will be held back &#8220;for a couple months&#8221; to allow them to get further along on polish, and the MMO back end. \u00c2\u00a0It seems a bit odd to be worrying about &#8216;polish&#8217; on a pre-alpha module for a game.. apparently, Chris Roberts does too, as he addressed that in his announcement:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I feel that the Dogfighting module, especially with Star Citizen\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s greatly increased profile, needs to be more polished than a typical \u00e2\u20ac\u0153alpha\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. There are a lot of eyes on the game, and more than a few people wanting us to fail. Because Dogfighting is the first module that will involve significant gameplay, it has to be good \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel that we will get a pass just because it is pre-pre alpha.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While I understand that there are people who want SC to fail (or, think it&#8217;s over hyped due to being totally crowd funding, and at super insane levels of that)&#8230;I&#8217;m not sure I agree with delaying it just to &#8220;impress&#8221; them. \u00c2\u00a0I get the delay to use the MMO backend code they&#8217;re working on, that makes sense rather than having to release it once with the CryEngine net code, and then implement the MMO code.. I think even acknowledging that part of the delay is polish related, is giving the &#8216;haters&#8217; ammo to work with, he should have just left it at &#8216;working on the backend&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>Wednesday brought us a special episode of &#8220;10 for the Chairman&#8221;:<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gmevVmaLizw\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the Q&amp;As from this episode, all of which are DFM related:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0DFM serve as good benchmark for PC Hardware<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, current game less optimized than final, if you can run DFM\/Hangar really well with big ships, should be able to run the final game very well.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Will friends be able to join us on bigger ships?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0When those ships are added to DFM, should be able to.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0When will server\/backbone code be implemented? Chat channel between Hangar\/DFM?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0One of the reasons for delay on DFM was to include the MMO Backend<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How much space will there be in the DFM? \u00c2\u00a0Only empty space, or varying \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbackgrounds\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (planets, asteroids, etc..)<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0DFM base is 20 kilometers cubed. \u00c2\u00a0Full of cool stuff (asteroids, nebula, etc)<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0More settings to tweak in DFM, so people can play at 30 FPS without top end<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Probably won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a lot more options initially.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Basic tutorial as part of DFM?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Maybe, hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been designed yet.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Will there be greater access to weapons in the DFM? \u00c2\u00a0Different missiles, more guns, and power plants? Cargo box for Aurora?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, various iterations of DFM will have additional items for testing\/balancing. \u00c2\u00a0Aurora should already have it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cargo box, might be a bug.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How will ships be balanced around class\/size for DFM?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Various categories for Matchmaking<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0DFM released with finalized flight module?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Flight module isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t finalized yet<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Since the DFM is a testing module, what will you have built into the module to retrieve data? \u00c2\u00a0File logging? Automated system gather stats\/info that is sent directly to CIG?<\/div>\n<div>A: \u00c2\u00a0Servers will be the source of most of the metrics, all battle data is stored on them.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Thursday brought us an <a href=\"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/transmission\/13435-Galactic-Guide-MISC\" target=\"_blank\">overview<\/a> of MISC (Musashi Industrial &amp; Starflight Concern), the manufacturer of the Freelancer, and Starfarer (side note, I&#8217;d love to be able to get this skin on my &#8216;Lancer.. it looks way better than the default):<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm.png\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1367\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?attachment_id=1367\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm.png\" data-orig-size=\"1915,1041\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm-300x163.png\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm-1024x556.png\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1367\" alt=\"CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm-1024x556.png\" width=\"598\" height=\"324\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm-1024x556.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm-300x163.png 300w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/CG24a-17-08-2013-06-45-37-Pm.png 1915w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Subscribers got this MISC overview in October&#8217;s Jump Point magazine. \u00c2\u00a0The highlight of MISC? \u00c2\u00a0That they use Xi&#8217;an tech:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>MISC\u00c2\u00a0is the only Human spacecraft corporation to sign a lendlease agreement with the Xi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122An, agreed to in a closed-door conference in 2910. Although the actual specifics of the deal have remained a tightly-held trade secret, insiders suggest that Xi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122An technology has played heavily into Freelancer development, while seemingly Xi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122An-produced\u00c2\u00a0MISC-D hulls are becoming an increasingly common site at border outposts. Wilder rumors claim that MISC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s next line of spacecraft will begin to incorporate Xi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122An thruster technologies adapted for use in their Human craft.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Friday was the big news day, of course.. since we had a two hour livestream that showcased (amongst other things) the Dog Fighting Module.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The livestream opened up with a &#8220;Foundry 42&#8221; update from the Manchester team:<\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-ZgoGQGACBc\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>CIG Manchester will have about 30 Employees come Jan 2nd. \u00c2\u00a0They seem to be settling into their new office space pretty nicely. \u00c2\u00a0After the update, there was some Q&amp;A with the Manchester team (so, focused on Squadron 42). \u00c2\u00a0The audio from Manchester wasn&#8217;t very clear during all of the Q&amp;A, so I may have mis-heard some of these.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Will SQ42 allow you to interact\/join NPC organizations, and does it carry over to the Persistent Universe.<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0There will be some interaction with a number of the different organizations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Anymore information on the co-op functionality of SQ42 yet?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Support from other ships, definitely got good plans for that, still need to work out details.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Able to pilot a variety of ships (including bigger ones like Retaliator)?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yeah<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How many people can drop in for Co-op?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Using same codebase as MMO, in plans to get as many in as they can<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Complete SQ42 before PU starts.<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Absolutely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Pop up achievements, or more immersive like medals?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Plan to have campaign medals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Uniforms in SQ42 able to show medals, rank insignia, etc..<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Gameplay gets stale after a few missions in some games, how are you going to keep it fresh?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Lot of it is story, so can&#8217;t give too many details.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How are we going to treat that everyone&#8217;s SQ42 experience the same (in the PU)?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Way of ending the Single Player so even though you may have been important, and did an incredible job.. but they&#8217;ll address it. \u00c2\u00a0CR compared it to the narrator in 300 who is there, played a part..but isn&#8217;t King L.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Once SQ42 is completed\/released.. will storyline change based on PU&#8217;s events.<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0SQ42 is going to be a prequel. \u00c2\u00a0PU events may impact &#8220;expansions&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0SQ42 resemble linear structure like Wing Commander, or more open world with campaign?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Need to compromise..linear at times, up to the player at others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Foundry 42 is also having a contest to celebrate the opening of their new studio. \u00c2\u00a0Here&#8217;s the link to the <a href=\"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/transmission\/13438-Foundry-42-Opening-Contest\" target=\"_blank\">announcement<\/a> post, that contains a full list of the prizes, and also, the poll you need to answer to enter. \u00c2\u00a0This is one of those contests with no bad prizes!<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/edBvTbwjnTo?rel=0\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n(Hint: \u00c2\u00a0David Warner is the actor who said the line). \u00c2\u00a0How weird would it be to win Star Wars ships from a contest for a completely unrelated IP? \u00c2\u00a0Get your answer in ASAP, since they never say when the cutoff is. \u00c2\u00a0I&#8217;d assume it&#8217;s after the 1st of the year though.<\/p>\n<p>That ends the UK team&#8217;s portion of the stream, and jumps us into the 50th episode of Wingman&#8217;s Hangar!<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0zQwHfszgLc?rel=0\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nA lot of this week&#8217;s WH is a montage of the last 49 episodes, a look back at some of the gifts the team has received over the year, etc.. etc..<\/p>\n<p>Stuff tied to things besides the last year of WH shows..<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CIG Austin packing up to move to new office location.<\/li>\n<li>Hangar Patch 10 released:\n<ul>\n<li>New Avenger included (updated model (single seat) but not PBR).<\/li>\n<li>Cutlass Included.<\/li>\n<li>Firing Range included (Limited weapons initially).<\/li>\n<li>Space Crab for the fish tank<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Forum Feedback\n<ul>\n<li>Cutlass package (single ship) available soon?\n<ul>\n<li>Yes, in store now<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Control presets (energy settings) for ships?\n<ul>\n<li>Yes, talked about lots of different presets you&#8217;ll be able to set.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Need proper shooting range for FPS combat &#8220;training&#8221;\n<ul>\n<li>Add it to the &#8216;what do you want to see in the hangar&#8217; thread, need to wait for more FPS stuff to be finished.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Can you cross into alien space to track a target (like for a bounty hunter)?\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Can vs Should&#8221; &#8211; Yes you can&#8230;different races might react differently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Guns we own, or all guns on Firing Range?\n<ul>\n<li>For now, the goal is limited set (most ready)..that group is further limited to what you own.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Help for modders to get animations working in CryEngine SDK (for movie making, etc.)?\n<ul>\n<li>At some point, it&#8217;ll be a higher priority.. too many higher priority issues right now. \u00c2\u00a0Will help out when they can though.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Is there an Executive Hangar?\n<ul>\n<li>Technical Difficulties impacted the answer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After WH, the Austin team held their Q&amp;A portion of the livestream:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How&#8217;s the PBR update coming?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Gonna be a big update, need some support from CryTek, which is currently being tested.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0When will people be able to visit friends&#8217; hangars?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0In progress, coming up soon&#8230; no set release date.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Buggy Stunt Rings??<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Lighting issues with fire on rings, possibly optimization needed (or, additional room added once that support is there)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Is Holotable finished, or still in progress?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0No way finished product, keep providing feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0More info on the really big ships, and the Hangar?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Probably won&#8217;t be able to land the biggest ships at the hangar.. possibly stay in orbit, or at larger landing pad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Asteroid hangar progress?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0It&#8217;ll be the first hangar using the new room system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Will future iterations of the module have more graphics settings to adjust?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, needs the UI\/Optimization stuff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How&#8217;s the Cutlass coming?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0In today&#8217;s patch&#8230; go update!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0What&#8217;s the next big project?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Room system, and PBR.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0New motions\/animations for ladder climbing?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, all character movement will be tweaked\/polished.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Set number of hangars per planet?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Combination of instanced hangars (unlimited), special more limited &#8216;bigger&#8217; hangars.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0PBR going to be ship by ship, or all at once?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Full pass on all hangars, ships, everything.. all hands on deck once it&#8217;s time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0What do you need to do to assets after receiving from outsourcer?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Make sure they&#8217;re following specs, nothing breaks on import.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Plans to rebind controls?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, part of the UI that still needs to be added.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Now that client side persistence is added, anyway to return things to default location if stuck?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, will be UI in place for hangar customization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Chris ran a video showing some of the work going into the DFM module, including some of the &#8216;damage state&#8217; artwork:<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1qRNYF12Us4\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nPost video, we get what everyone has been waiting for.. a look at the Dog Fighting Module itself! \u00c2\u00a0(about 1:24:00 into the live stream).<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a couple screenshots I grabbed of this part of the stream. \u00c2\u00a0The first one shows off some of the existing UI, the second shows a nice explosion!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM.png\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1368\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?attachment_id=1368\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 11.25.03 PM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-1024x576.png\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1368\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 11.25.03 PM\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-1024x576.png\" width=\"598\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-300x168.png 300w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-642x362.png 642w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.25.03-PM-128x72.png 128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM.png\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1369\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?attachment_id=1369\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 11.26.48 PM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-1024x576.png\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1369\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 11.26.48 PM\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-1024x576.png\" width=\"598\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-300x168.png 300w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-642x362.png 642w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.26.48-PM-128x72.png 128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The explosion screenshot, also gives us a look at what the 3rd Person view\/chase camera will look like during the DFM.<\/p>\n<p>At about the 1:30:00 mark, we see two pilots run into each other&#8230;and blow each other up via the collision.<\/p>\n<p>Chris plus the new Drake Interstellar Hoodies that just hit the store (they do look nice). \u00c2\u00a0For the Q&amp;A related to the DFM, whoever was reading the questions, wasn&#8217;t near a mic, so the question wording is based off the answer provided.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0What was the load out?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a02 Laser repeaters, 2 Laser cannons, 2 gatlings, and 2 (something I couldn&#8217;t make out)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Ships in DFM?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Will depend on when it gets released.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0People seem like they were dying too quick<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Lot of balance, some of it shortened to make for a good demo. \u00c2\u00a0Lots of systems not implemented yet (like physics)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0What peripherals will be supported?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Gamepads, keyboards, joystick, HOTAS, will get Oculus Rift added when working right.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Will 3rd Person get nerved?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Won&#8217;t have HUD in 3rd Person, so it&#8217;s already pretty nerfed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0What will be destructible in DFM? \u00c2\u00a0Environment\/Ship?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Answer was showing some of the damage effects (similar to the video shown earlier)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Why gatling gun turret gone from Hornet?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Never supposed to be there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0How is hit detection\/hit boxes implemented?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0As shown in video, everything is rendered, has physical location.. if it gets hit, it gets hit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Quick look at shields, as done in their test sandbox:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM.png\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1370\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?attachment_id=1370\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM.png\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 11.45.35 PM\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-1024x576.png\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1370\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 11.45.35 PM\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-1024x576.png\" width=\"598\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-300x168.png 300w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-642x362.png 642w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Screen-Shot-2013-12-22-at-11.45.35-PM-128x72.png 128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lots of visual feedback\/clues to how you&#8217;re doing in the fight.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Damage when collide, will there be moving objects?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Yes, and, yes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Have system for the pilot, will be fully animated for g-force, and hit modeling. \u00c2\u00a0Procedurally animated, not showing today since it&#8217;s not done.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0System requirements? \u00c2\u00a0What&#8217;s today&#8217;s demo running on?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0High end, modern gaming PCs&#8230; 680s\/780s. \u00c2\u00a0Not a lot of optimization done. \u00c2\u00a0Shooting for what the standard system will be in 2015, not today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\">Q: \u00c2\u00a0Ship customization (paint, decals, etc).<\/span><\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Will support something like that..doing R&amp;D, CryEngine doesn&#8217;t support what they want to do.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0What if your ship isn&#8217;t in initial DFM release?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0If you don&#8217;t have a ship that&#8217;s in the DFM, you&#8217;ll get to use one (probably Hornet).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Accuracy of g-force modeling?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Modeling and simulating to be realistic, human body can take more gs in some directions. \u00c2\u00a0Visual feedback. \u00c2\u00a0Some changes will need to be made for gameplay\/fun reasons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Missiles\/signature system, when can we see?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Not in today&#8217;s DFM, having multi-player network synch issues..but work in single player.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0DFM persist post release, as a simulation mode?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0It will evolve into the Arena mode.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\">Q: \u00c2\u00a0Test UEC, or a way to earn it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Haven&#8217;t decided between test UEC, or test weapons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Q: \u00c2\u00a0Non combat ships in the DFM?<\/li>\n<li>A: \u00c2\u00a0Everything will get in there eventually.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The link to the full stream archive is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xw7SYWuV_ns\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As if the livestream alone wasn&#8217;t enough for the week&#8230; While Peyton Manning was busy setting the record for 51 TD Passes in a season&#8230; Star Citizen crossed over another funding milestone by hitting the $35Million mark!<\/p>\n<p>Chris used the $35 million announcement to thank the Community for supporting the decision to delay the DFM, as well as talk some more about his motivation for delaying:<\/p>\n<p>In my heart I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to rush out something that would be a stop gap. Testing the head to head aspect is the one I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m most focused on. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made a lot of single player games \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I know that we can knock that out of the park but I really want to make sure that the multiplayer combat is fun, compelling and that we solve the various challenges in having the controls and flight model work smoothly online. That was what the Dogfight Module was always intended to be at its core and so at the end of the day I felt I would be letting myself down, as well as everyone in the community if I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t deliver a module that lived up to the goals I wanted to achieve. Even though I want the community\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s feedback that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only useful when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m mostly happy with how something plays and looks and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not there yet on the multiplayer dogfighting.<\/p>\n<p>The $35 Million unlock, is the last of the fan voted ship roles. \u00c2\u00a0The Drake Herald (the information runner ship):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Drake Herald<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c Knowledge is power, and one of the most valuable commodities is pure information: the 1s and 0s behind everything from\u00c2\u00a0UEC\u00c2\u00a0ledgers to Citizenship ratings. Whether it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s colonists struggling to stay in contact with the UEE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s central worlds or criminals trading in illicit data, there will always be a need to securely move data. The Drake Herald, small, armored ship, is designed to fit that need and safely get that information from Point A to Point B. Featuring a powerful central engine (for high speed transit and generating the power needed for effective data encryption\/containment), advanced encryption software and an armored computer core, the Herald is unique among personal spacecraft in that it is designed to be easily \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccleaned\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 when in danger of capture. The Herald includes an array of heavy duty internal options for data protection, including redundant power subsystems and\u00c2\u00a0EMPshielding, and a high-powered broadcast array for data transmission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The $37 Million goal, is the next community voted system type&#8230;.and the winner is&#8230;the Stellar Graveyard:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tanga System<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c At the heart of an unusual rectangular planetary nebula (see reference), lies Tanga System. The inner planets engulfed the star entered the red giant phase. The expanded habitable zone unfroze a small world on the former outer ring and for several hundred million years made it habitable. Life began to emerge and was just reaching a primitive state when the star collapsed into a white dwarf, throwing the planet back into a deep freeze, then blasting the atmosphere away with the resulting planetary nebula. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how the system was found: Only two worlds (speculation that there could have been three to four more) but both are dead planets with no atmosphere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Voting is now open for the $38 Million goal.. which will be another system type:<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Banu Trading Post<\/li>\n<li>Lost Human Colony<\/li>\n<li>Unexplored Natural Wonder<\/li>\n<li>Tevarin Ghost World<\/li>\n<li>Fully Aquatic Planet<\/li>\n<li>Xi&#8217;An Science Outpost<\/li>\n<li>Binary Star System<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s it for the week&#8230; Have a Happy Holidays!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011.jpg\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1371\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?attachment_id=1371\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ScreenShot0011\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-300x168.jpg\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-1024x576.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1371\" alt=\"ScreenShot0011\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-1024x576.jpg\" width=\"598\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-1024x576.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-300x168.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-642x362.jpg 642w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011-128x72.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ScreenShot0011.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the last State of the Empire for 2013, at least, barring any major surprise announcements from CIG during Christmas week. \u00c2\u00a0I&#8217;ll be taking the week off to spend <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/?p=1366\" class=\"more-link\">[&hellip;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"Layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"State of the Empire, #5 #StarCitizen http:\/\/wp.me\/p2BPLE-m2","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[38],"tags":[39],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2BPLE-m2","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1366"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1366\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bigdamnheroes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}