# Star Citizen is the Future of PC Gaming, and it \[was\] Free to Play this week (Edit: No Longer Free) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [October 13, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528 "2015-10-13T06:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/241 "2017-03-10T19:45:20Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Elite: Dangerous has ship insurance. My main is a Federal Corvette worth over 336 million credits; when it blows up, getting it back costs 16.83 million. Elite: Dangerous is up and running isn’t it? You really have to screw up something horrible to have that happen to a parked [del]car[/del]ship. ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/242 "2017-03-10T21:08:06Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > What did that insurance cost, is it based on a percentage of the value of the ship? Is it a one time cost or is it recurring? If your ship does get blown up, do your rates increase? It’s just a flat % of the cost of the ship & components. There’s no premiums or anything, and it’s not charged until your ship gets blown up. If you can’t or refuse to pay it, you get a new baseline “starter” ship. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/243 "2017-03-10T21:22:51Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > What did that insurance cost, is it based on a percentage of the value of the ship? Is it a one time cost or is it recurring? If your ship does get blown up, do your rates increase? Flat rate, 95% of the total worth is covered upon destruction. Those who were in Alpha and Beta get even larger discounts (97% for Betas and 98% for Alphas, IIRC). Rates do not change unless the value of the ship changes. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Elite: Dangerous is up and running isn’t it? You really have to screw up something horrible to have that happen to a parked [del]car[/del]ship. Tru dat. Especially if the ship has yet to exist anywhere other than in a pretty picture. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/244 "2017-03-13T19:19:30Z")
From the Red Bull website: [The Stats, so far.](http://www.redbull.com/en/games/stories/1331846115570/star-citizen-infographic-red-bull-games) Holeeee crap. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/245 "2017-03-13T19:33:32Z")
Most of the numbers, of course, being descriptions of mere ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/246 "2017-03-13T19:35:30Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Most of the numbers, of course, being descriptions of mere ideas. Except for the money-_That’s_ way too real. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/247 "2017-03-13T20:33:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Most of the numbers, of course, being descriptions of mere ideas. See, one of the common refrains you hear in the “I have an idea for an app/novel/widget/whatever, how do I keep people from stealing it?” threads is that ideas without actual implementations are basically worthless. How wrong we were…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/248 "2017-03-13T20:47:01Z")
The one thing that keeps crossing my mind with this thread is, if the game is ever released I don’t know if I would buy it. Anyone who buys the basic $70 or $80 version of this game would never be able to compete with the people who have $2500 ships. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/249 "2017-03-13T20:52:03Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > The one thing that keeps crossing my mind with this thread is, if the game is ever released I don’t know if I would buy it. Anyone who buys the basic $70 or $80 version of this game would never be able to compete with the people who have $2500 ships. Which is why they promote crap like this-to get the initial donors to feel that if they pour more money in they won’t have wasted their funds getting the “loser” version of the game. Psychological and/or emotional blackmail at its finest. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/250 "2017-03-14T20:45:12Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > The one thing that keeps crossing my mind with this thread is, if the game is ever released I don’t know if I would buy it. Anyone who buys the basic $70 or $80 version of this game would never be able to compete with the people who have $2500 ships. In a world where Star Citizen was a real thing some super nutty gamers will play 18 hours a day and earn those things anyway. In any MMORPG the casual gamer cannot compete with the pros and the addicts. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/251 "2017-03-14T20:57:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In any MMORPG the casual gamer cannot compete with the pros and the addicts. This is why I don’t PvP. I work for a living and don’t have time to “git gud”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/252 "2017-03-24T22:11:02Z")
Star Citizen has more competition. [_Starfighter Inc._ intends to tread a unique path, aiming to be the most realistic space combat simulation ever created.](http://www.roadtovr.com/starfighter-inc-promises-space-combat-sim-vr-built-hard-sci-fi-foundation/) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/253 "2017-03-31T20:34:16Z")
[Articles criticizing Roberts and/or his game have been disappearing, along with at least one response from Roberts?](https://heatst.com/gaming/huge-crowdfunded-project-star-citizen-gets-negative-articles-scrubbed-from-web/) ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/254 "2017-03-31T21:01:01Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Articles criticizing Roberts and/or his game have been disappearing, along with at least one response from Roberts?](https://heatst.com/gaming/huge-crowdfunded-project-star-citizen-gets-negative-articles-scrubbed-from-web/) Well, that’s not really a fair summation of the article. 2 articles have disappeared, from one site, and Robert’s reply has disappeared from his, and both parties have stated that they’ve agreed to remove them. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/255 "2017-03-31T22:02:53Z")
As the article states: > [@](#): > > It seems Defy Media simply no longer wanted the threat of a lawsuit hanging over their heads, and decided to axe the articles. This kind of arrangement happens often in media, where larger companies can stick up for themselves while smaller players simply cannot afford the risk of a major lawsuit. Makes me wonder if anyone else is being threatened with lawsuits for being critical of Mr. Roberts and/or his game. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/256 "2017-08-04T21:21:04Z")
[Releases keep on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future.](http://www.cinemablend.com/games/1688330/star-citizen-30-has-been-pushed-back-again) Also of note, that ship you worked so hard to get and upgrade? [Other players can steal it!](http://www.pcgamer.com/how-star-citizens-ship-insurance-works-and-how-players-will-exploit-it/) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/257 "2017-08-04T21:27:18Z")
What I really want now is a single player big budget, sci-fi game with lots of player narrative agency and top fo the line graphics, and PC exclusive (at least at release), so there’s no temptation of dumbing down the interface or the narrative agency, or the combat. Especially now that Mass Effect has imploded so impressively. ::sigh:: ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/258 "2017-08-04T21:35:37Z")
It really amuses me how concerned you are about all this. I don’t think that’s the reaction you think you’re getting. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/259 "2017-08-04T21:41:00Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > What I really want now is a single player big budget, sci-fi game with lots of player narrative agency and top fo the line graphics, and PC exclusive (at least at release), so there’s no temptation of dumbing down the interface or the narrative agency, or the combat. > > Especially now that Mass Effect has imploded so impressively. > > ::sigh:: Stellaris ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/260 "2017-08-04T21:48:00Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It really amuses me how concerned you are about all this. I don’t think that’s the reaction you think you’re getting. > [@Skywatcher](#): > > I think it’s become an interesting phenomenon. They’ve taken in all this money, said that the game would have been ready two years ago, still have tons of work to do if they’re going to include everything mentioned in stretch goals, are not speculating on a release date… > [@Skywatcher](#): > > I strongly suspect that Chris Roberts won’t authorize a full release until the core game has at least caught up with everything that Elite: Dangerous already offers. Which won’t be any time soon because Frontier tries to add content to their game every quarter. … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528.md?page=14)