At CitizenCon 2019, the SF MMO “Star Citizen” presented a new mode. As an extension of the shooter mode “Star Marine”, “Theatres of War” was showcased: This is a 40-player mode where players must act tactically. There are ground and air battles.
What kind of mode is this? The mode is called “Theatres of War.” In Star Citizen, this is even a “game within a game” – the pilots in this world reenact historical battles in a virtual reality for entertainment and to train their combat skills.
The mode combines vehicle and infantry combat. This is known from game series like Battlefield or Planetside.
In “Theatres of War”, there are 20 attackers and 20 defenders. Players can choose between certain predefined classes, i.e., different armaments, as gamerant reports:
- a foot soldier
- An attacker
- A sniper
- An “Anti-Vehicle” character to combat vehicles
This is how the current map runs: The first scenario introduced by CIG is called “Crossroads of Crime”: It reenacts a historical conflict between a criminal syndicate “The Supreme” and “The Advocacy”, who are attacking.
The battle is divided into 3 phases:
- First, attackers must disable the enemy’s anti-aircraft defenses with vehicles
- In the second phase, attackers must take out a radar – this phase takes place mostly in the air
- In the third phase, it goes into orbit, where low gravity plays a role.
A match lasts about 30 minutes.
Ground and air combat in one mode
What is the idea behind the mode? The mode is meant to connect existing parts that have already been developed for Star Citizen. Elements from the “dogfighting” mode Arena Commander and the FPS mode Star Marine are combined to create a mix of air and ground combat.
It is said by the developers behind Star Citizen that it took about 6-8 months to develop the mode, because most assets were already available. Further work is planned on the mode, to improve spawn points or balance.
Reactions are mixed as always with Star Citizen
What is the reaction? It varies. Among fans of Star Citizen (via reddit), the mode is generally received positively:
- Many compare the gameplay to Battlefield or Planetside 2.
- They believe that players could “train stress-free” in this mode without fear of consequences.
- This is seen as a “side game” for relaxation and is mostly welcomed.
Outside the community, the mode is discussed more controversially (via reddit):
- There are questions as to why Star Citizen has the time for such things. The work should rather be focused on the core game, the “spaceship simulation”.
- Additionally, the shooter looks “clunky”.
- There are concerns that it may be a “side game” that the developers will quickly lose interest in.
- However, Star Citizen is credited for showing the gameplay “raw”, without exaggerating it.
A player’s YouTube video about the mode reflects this discrepancy. The video shows a montage of the presentation.
The clip has as many dislikes as likes.
