Inside Star Citizen: Summer Fling | Summer 2020

Transcript — every row opens the video at that moment

1. 00:00:01

   There's been quite a bit of fun in terms of the review meetings we'll have. Uh it's always a bit of a chuckle when you start to see the various random things that the animators decided to pick up and throw. I think the funniest thing would have to be the pumpkin that I saw being chucked around. I think the cutest thing I've seen thrown is the cherry. Being able to throw things into a net. My favorite though is a sheet we have that the penguin. That's adorable and tragic as it sort of flies through the air and bounces. So the main issues that we found with the throw mechanic was the precision of the throw wasn't very accurate. You don't really know where the grenade's going to go for sure when you throw it. And it is really quite clunky to use when trying to throw other items. Players were finding weren't really

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   using throwing grenades much. And that's also a factor in Thieves of War which in fact it's sort of exacerbated because you're dying and killing other people and you're exposed to combat more frequently. It was a bit confusing with the overarm and underarm. So if you aimed above a certain point in the screen, it would go into overarm. And then if you did under that point, it'd go into underarm. So we just kind of wanted to make it a bit more robust, make it a bit clearer, and make it more precise. The first problem we're trying to fix with throw is first and foremost that the player experience when you're in the middle of combat and you want to throw a grenade and place it exactly where you want it. The other side is that we have a lot of items in our game that you can pick up, you can carry, and the intent is that you be able to throw them as well. Whether that's just for fun or you're

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   trying to hit someone in the head with a rock or even just distract an NPC. We want that to be a systemic approach so you can do it with anything that's around you. We're expecting throwing 311 to feel quite quite different. We're going to be changing up the different controls so that you've got a bit more time to decide how you want to throw, instead of your G button, which will be your equip and throw. We're going to be having the G to then select and equip your grenade, and then we've got your left mouse button, which is going to be overarm throw, your right mouse button, which is going to be underarm throw. We're going to add like a display to show where exactly what you're throwing is going to go to. We're going to have mass involved. This is going to benefit throw by making it feel a lot more realistic. So, you wouldn't

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   be able to just throw something that's your own body weight, you know, 40 m away from yourself. It also means as well that you've got to take into consideration what you're going to be throwing and how far you're wanting this thing to go. Cuz if you're going to want something really heavy thrown really far, maybe that's not the best option. So, we're making these changes just to kind of add like add a bit more flow to make it feel make it feel a bit more useful for the players. So, looking to the future with throw, there's uh physicalized damage on the horizon. Uh there's also melee weapons. We might look at extending their use,

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   combining it with throw. Uh there's also the fact that every other prop that release from now on will be using this system. So, all new content will be supported. This is going to add a lot more a new level of gameplay to the combat mechanics. The improved throw mechanic is just one way the work on the upcoming Theaters of War is benefiting both Star Citizen and Squadron 42. And we'll be checking in with the actor feature and content teams again for more improvement as their work progresses. But up next, we've got a very special environmentally themed sprint report, so let's get to it. Previously, we reported on the lighting team's efforts to convert Area 18 over to the new day-night cycle and runtime probe tech that came online during New Babbage's development. The team really

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   wanted to experiment with creating a dramatically different color palette for the daytime operations of this landing zone and the sometimes suspect nighttime offerings. And you can see here their progress in several of ArcCorp's back alleyways and corridors. Just be careful where you go alone. Up in the space above ArcCorp and throughout the Stanton system, concept artists are working out new EVA access hatches for space stations to support the upcoming EVA missions intended to take players out onto the surface of these mammoth structures for investigation, repair, and potentially even combat. We'll learn more as the feature develops. Now, you won't be alone on the exterior of these stations as work is currently

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   underway on the addition of new defensive turrets to select locations, certain truck stops, and anywhere else that doesn't already have them to keep them free from lawbreakers and other ne'er-do-wells. These additional defensive stations to those already found throughout the persistent universe aren't just to look intimidating, they're another step in the continuing evolution of the law system and the eventual removal of green zones from stations like Olisar and the like throughout the Stanton system. Returning down planet side, early concept explorations are underway on the creation of homesteads, habitats, and homes for NPCs that may one day dot across the surface of planets and moons throughout the Stanton system and beyond. Now, these thumbnail sketches are an invaluable first step in any concept

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   process. And as usual, they're explorations only. That means that while several of them may be chosen to make the next step into full-on development. The reality is that many of these may die here as solid examples of simply what we don't want to do. Such is the way for thumbnail sketches. Lastly, team members are also exploring the creation of gigantic rock formations that can be used in multiple locations, including the upcoming planets of the Pyro system. Now, this test here is specifically about structure and scale, tech and process more than the specific

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   texture stuff you see here. Now, looking at them, I can't help personally but think not only about how they'll improve the look of our planets and moons, but what these will mean for player-run events like the Daymar Rally and the like. Can Can I Can I say it? Now, this is pod racing. Don't sue me. So, what did we learn about this week? Well, we learned that with improved throw, FPS combat will become more engaging and potentially a lot more creative when physicalized damage comes online. That you can throw your Pico, but you shouldn't. And that art improvements for locations can often be the vanguard for gameplay possibilities in the future. For Inside Star Citizen, I'm Jared Huckaby. We'll see you next week.