Chris Roberts has commented on the release date of the FPS module “Star Marine” of the upcoming space online game Star Citizen.
There are currently many discussions surrounding the FPS module, after Battlecruiser developer Derek Smart claimed that it had been put on hold. Chris Roberts, founder and CEO of the developer studio Cloud Imperium, announced in a video interview with gamersnexus.net that “Star Marine” could be expected in about three to five weeks. He mentioned that the module would likely be released around Gamescom.
“Star Marine” is coming soon!
Furthermore, Roberts explains the reasons for the postponement of “Star Marine”. This is due on one hand to network optimizations, especially regarding animations. In many first-person shooters, developers use “tricks” for the animations. The arms and hands seen while holding a weapon are often just “faked” on screen in many shooters. However, in Star Citizen, this is different. One embodies a real character, into which one slips from a first-person perspective. Limbs and their corresponding animations are represented completely accurately.
This also applies to the camera position, which in many other first-person shooters is not truly at the head but rather at the neck. This leads to the necessity of making these animations really perfect. Additionally, the aim was to have very fluid and realistic motion sequences in the game so that everything not only looks very good but also realistic. However, this posed some problems for the team, which they are currently working on solving. This would rather be equated with “perfection”; thus, the module would not need to be postponed by months, but only by a few weeks.
Chris Roberts did not want to commit 100 percent that the “Star Marine” module for Star Citizen would really appear at Gamescom, as giving specific dates has previously burned them. But around Gamescom, it should be ready.
The groundwork for a release has been laid
In an extensive blog post regarding the shooter module (robertsspaceindustries.com), they also reported on initial successes. An update is currently on the test server that brings a series of network optimizations. These would positively impact the animations and eliminate clipping issues, it is said.
Additionally, it is interesting to note the statement that they are aiming for a tactical, rather slow-paced gameplay. The goal is to create a realistic simulation that fits into the rest of the game. A death would also have greater consequences for the players: Star Marine should not be a disposable action. This aligns with the statement that Star Marine will not be a Call of Duty clone.
