# 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:** 34
**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:** [February 16, 2021, 8:58pm 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/734528/661 "2021-02-16T20:58:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Still, a judge already [ruled in favor of RSI](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/court-denies-star-citizen-backers-4500-refund-lawsuit/) when an original backer (which is who this suit is targeting) sued for a refund. I doubt it’ll go anywhere. There’s also [this guy](https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/13/16767590/star-citizen-refund) who sued & won earlier but likely has yet to receive the full amount. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 7:08pm 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/734528/662 "2021-02-17T19:08:10Z")
Meanwhile, in the fraudulent No Man’s Sky… > **[No Man's Sky Players Can Now Tame, Breed, And Train Alien Creatures](https://kotaku.com/no-mans-sky-players-can-now-tame-breed-and-train-alien-1846281162)** > > Showing no sign of slowing down after a 2020 filled with game-changing updates, Hello Games starts off the fifth year of No Man’s Sky with the “Companions” update, which gives players the ability to befriend procedurally-generated alien creatures,... I’m definitely curious to see what kinds of creatures can be bred and whether players will be able to select for desired traits through targeted breeding. I’m sure lots of folks will be trying for megafauna pets. The top current comment on that article: “I like how they casually added Pokemon to their space exploration 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:** [February 23, 2021, 9:23pm 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/734528/663 "2021-02-23T21:23:48Z")
> **[Star Citizen 2021 - Was soll bis Ende des Jahres noch kommen?](https://www.gamestar.de/videos/star-citizen-2021-was-soll-bis-ende-des-jahres-noch-kommen,102213.html)** > > 2020 blieben manche Hoffnungen der Fans von Star Citizen unerfüllt. 2021 soll das anders werden, zumindest wenn es nach den Plänen vom... (Translation to English from German via Google) > [I]mportant technical updates are pending with iCache and server meshing, which pave the way for the second star system Pyro. This has been in development for a decade yet still only has one star system? Roberts should buy out _[Firefly Online](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Online)_ and make that instead. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 6:52am 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/734528/664 "2021-02-24T06:52:08Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > This has been in development for a decade yet still only has one star system? Roberts should buy out _[Firefly Online](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Online)_ and make that instead. I wasted money on that. Not a lot, but still. That and wasting years waiting, including playing the iOS app daily in preparation for the real game. Oh well. ---
**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 22, 2021, 5:17pm 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/734528/665 "2021-03-22T17:17:13Z")
They’re adding _another_ game mode? > **[An outside studio is helping with Star Citizen's Battlefield-like mode](https://www.pcgamer.com/star-citizens-battlefield-like-mode-is-getting-help-from-a-third-party-studio/)** > > UK developer Firesprite has been contributing to the Chris Roberts space sim since 2019. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:27pm 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/734528/666 "2021-03-22T17:27:40Z")
_The mode was first demonstrated to Star Citizen backers in 2019, and closed beta tests have continued since then—a hand-picked group of backers called the Evocati are the only invitees so far, but Theaters of War will hit the Public Test Universe “eventually,” says Cloud Imperium. There’s nothing more concrete than that timing-wise, but this is Star Citizen we’re talking about, so that’s to be expected._ I expect “eventually” to be “never”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 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/734528/667 "2021-03-22T20:33:20Z")
Nice to see they’re adding a mode styled after a game first released in, what, 2003? And while I love, love, **love** the Battlefield games, I can’t help but assume the Star Citizen version will\* be as pay-to-win as the rest. Your squad hops into the entry-level Tonka Truck Troop Transport only to get instantly vaporized by a HELICON PHOENIX-CLASS TANK BLASTER XXXXL (limited edition model) that some early backer paid 300 bucks for. No thanks. \*I know that “will” is a generous term which implies the game will be released at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 11:16pm 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/734528/668 "2021-03-22T23:16:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Your squad hops into the entry-level Tonka Truck Troop Transport only to get instantly vaporized by a HELICON PHOENIX-CLASS TANK BLASTER XXXXL (limited edition model) that some early backer paid 300 bucks for But then you get to yell “TANKS A LOT!” as you are fragged. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 10:41am 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/734528/669 "2021-03-23T10:41:59Z")
How about “Pay for the expectation that you’ll eventually win, if the game ever actually exists”? ---
**Author:** ![Acierocolotl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acierocolotl/32/6241_2.png) [@Acierocolotl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acierocolotl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 6:16pm 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/734528/670 "2021-03-23T18:16:44Z")
I… kind of didn’t need to know this. I like a good spaceship, don’t get me wrong (I have blown up a looooot of targets in Elite) but I absolutely love a scifi combined arms sort of game. I’ve spent a lot of time in Planetside 2 and a shameful amount in Battlefield 2142 (the zenith of the Battlefield series, in my arrogant and utterly biased opinion). I was so excited over that Dust bunchanumbers game which was supposed to be a battlefield-oid in the Eve universe, until it got relegated to the consoles. So this is where Star Citizen has a chance of getting its tenterhooks into me. Well, also my momma didn’t raise her son to be a fool, so they won’t get any cash… but my ears have pricked up now. It’ll be something to look forward to in 2028 or thereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 6:40pm 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/734528/671 "2021-03-23T18:40:25Z")
> [@Acierocolotl](#): > > So this is where Star Citizen has a chance of getting its tenterhooks into me. Well, also my momma didn’t raise her son to be a fool, so they won’t get any cash… but my ears have pricked up now. It’ll be something to look forward to in 2028 or thereabouts. My advice, wait until there is an actual release before spending a dime. My guess is that the release won’t ever happen. But with this project there is absolutely no reason to think that giving them money now is anything but flushing cash down the toilet. ---
**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 23, 2021, 6:44pm 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/734528/672 "2021-03-23T18:44:48Z")
> [@Acierocolotl](#): > > I like a good spaceship, don’t get me wrong (I have blown up a looooot of targets in Elite) but I absolutely love a scifi combined arms sort of game. I’ve spent a lot of time in Planetside 2 and a shameful amount in Battlefield 2142 (the zenith of the Battlefield series, in my arrogant and utterly biased opinion). I was so excited over that Dust bunchanumbers game which was supposed to be a battlefield-oid in the Eve universe, until it got relegated to the consoles. You should look into _Mount & Blade_. At least one of them has a total conversion mod based on _Star Wars_. ---
**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 23, 2021, 7:28pm 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/734528/673 "2021-03-23T19:28:35Z")
Turns out there are two such total conversions for _Warband_. Single player only: > **[Steam Workshop::Star Wars Conquest](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=742671195)** Multiplayer only: > **[Steam Workshop::Bear Force II](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1661605287)** ---
**Author:** ![Acierocolotl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acierocolotl/32/6241_2.png) [@Acierocolotl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acierocolotl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 11:51pm 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/734528/674 "2021-03-23T23:51:35Z")
Pray forgive me for the hijack. Did you know there’s one person in Canada who’s entirely lukewarm to the Star Wars IP? Congratulations! You’re talking to him now! I don’t hate it, but there are core conceits to it that I don’t like either, so we have a respectful agreement and stay on opposite sides of the room if we fetch up at the same party. There exists a game called “Angels Fall First” which hits a lot of those Battlefield 2142 notes. There’s lots of customization possible for your loadout, so you can play to your infantry strengths. It’s kind of old and, being the developers were a small company, an extremely “indie” game. I guess Angels Fall First is closer to my ideal. (Mount and Blade was a delightful timesink, though. I’ve played the original quite heavily when I had a lot of time to burn.) That said, I own all the original Mount and Blade games save the Vikings expansion. It’s incredibly ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 2:51pm 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/734528/675 "2021-03-24T14:51:59Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > My guess is that the release won’t ever happen. But with this project there is absolutely no reason to think that giving them money now is anything but flushing cash down the toilet. There is actually a pretty good argument to be made that giving them money right now is what will continue delaying the game’s release. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 6:33pm 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/734528/676 "2021-03-24T18:33:49Z")
Good point. They seem to take all their income and see it as an opportunity to add another feature or entirely new game, before they’re close to finishing anything. The thing is, with that philosophy they will literally never finish the game. If the only thing you do with new money is add more, then the only thing that gets you to stop is when the income stops, and then you go bankrupt. This is feature creep mutated to some new form so extreme I don’t think there’s a term for it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 6:56pm 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/734528/677 "2021-03-24T18:56:59Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > This is feature creep mutated to some new form so extreme I don’t think there’s a term for it yet. Maybe, “feature cancer”? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 7:04pm 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/734528/678 "2021-03-24T19:04:44Z")
That’s pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 3:51pm 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/734528/679 "2021-03-29T15:51:36Z")
> [@Acierocolotl](#): > > I… kind of didn’t need to know this. > > I like a good spaceship, don’t get me wrong (I have blown up a looooot of targets in Elite) but I absolutely love a scifi combined arms sort of game. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the upcoming Elite Dangerous release of “Odyssey.” Adding ground combat, letting pilots out of their ships to roam stations and interact with 3D NPCs and not just their photographs… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 5:47pm 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/734528/680 "2021-03-29T17:47:02Z")
> [@Acierocolotl](#): > > I absolutely love a scifi combined arms sort of game. I’ve spent a lot of time in Planetside 2 and a shameful amount in Battlefield 2142 (the zenith of the Battlefield series, in my arrogant and utterly biased opinion) There’s Star Wars: Battlefront, which is more or less Battlefield with Star Wars slapped on it. I find it a bit dull compared to the “true” Battlefield games, though, since the vehicles aren’t nearly as integral to the experience. I also find the addition of the heroes to be more frustrating than compelling. Battlefield with a squad of friends is emergent cinema in a way I’ve never experienced in any other game. Battlefront is mostly just mindless pew pew pews - fun in its own right but not very Battlefieldy. [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=33) [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=35)