# 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:** 35
**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 29, 2021, 9:51pm 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/734528/681 "2021-03-29T21:51:37Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > Elite Dangerous release of “Odyssey.” I don’t expect Odyssey will give me what I want. But I also think I’d be better-served writing about that in the Elite thread. > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Star Wars: Battlefront I gave the original Battlefront demo a go, because it sounded like it was what I wanted. On the other hand, Star Wars is supposed to be about personal heroism, I guess, so it’s not unreasonable that a hero should be able to best a tank. This isn’t to say that in a more conventional game, a soldier couldn’t defeat an armoured unit. But it would require that tank to have inadequate infantry support, the attacking soldier have specialized kit, AND have a high degree of guile or stealth as well. No number of assault rifle equivalents should be able to shoot up a tank, let alone an APC or the scifi equivalent thereof, but that’s likely a game design decision and not a lore one. How’s that for veering off topic? > [@Atamasama](#): > > My advice, wait until there is an actual release before spending a dime. Haha, no need to worry about that. I tried Star Citizen two years back when they had a free-access weekend. My computer may have been a trifle long in the tooth at time but was still no slouch. All the same, it was astounding how poorly Star Citizen ran. You may be accustomed to the measurement “frames per second” (FPS), well, I had SPF. I think it took me five minutes to walk to the airlock at the end of the hallway, and another ten minutes of blundering on the docks to find my ship and climb inside. And that’s when I quit, never to go back. If the purpose of the demo was to encourage sales, it failed utterly in its mission and cost it (my) money instead. IF WE PRESUME that these proposed gameplay elements will get finished, one expects computing power will have caught up enough to make it playable. On the other hand, I also kind of expect a George Broussard situation (Duke Nukem Forever) where the engine keeps getting upgraded and no computer is capable of running it well, should it ever get released at all. I am a fool sometimes, and I am sometimes pretty free with my disposable income, but I’m not that free, and I’m not that much of a fool. I like what Star Citizen is promissing. But there are many more immediately-gratifying options I can spend my cash on now. ---
**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 29, 2021, 11:30pm 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/734528/682 "2021-03-29T23:30:18Z")
> [@Acierocolotl](#): > > On the other hand, I also kind of expect a George Broussard situation (Duke Nukem Forever) where the engine keeps getting upgraded and no computer is capable of running it well, should it ever get released at all. I said pretty much the same thing … um … :scrolls up to look: … [back in December of 2016.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-its-free-to-play-this-week/734528/207) ---
**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 30, 2021, 12:04am 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/734528/683 "2021-03-30T00:04:35Z")
Great minds think alike, etc. Hopefully you’ll find it within your heart to forgive me for missing a post made over four years ago. ---
**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 30, 2021, 12:56am 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/734528/684 "2021-03-30T00:56:13Z")
Considering the age of this thread, there’s bound to be repeats from people who weren’t registered when the previous post was made. 🙂 I wouldn’t be surprised if the game is _still_ in development when this thread is old enough to drink in the US. ---
**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 30, 2021, 1:03am 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/734528/685 "2021-03-30T01:03:44Z")
[Speaking of Odyssey…](https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/29/22356457/elite-dangerous-odyssey-alpha-launch-phase-one-first-person-combat-exploration) I find it interesting and funny that they’re calling it a “true” alpha. ---
**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 30, 2021, 2:32am 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/734528/686 "2021-03-30T02:32:45Z")
Meanwhile, _Star Citizen_ has been stuck at a tiny bit past [Phase One](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jfKWvi3PwgYBSm8xmfNrh59YvP0=/0x0:2189x1229/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2189x1229):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22405320/odyssey_stages.jpg) for … how long now? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 3:26am 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/734528/687 "2021-03-30T03:26:31Z")
For the next 10-15 years or until the authorities put this scam to rest. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2021, 7:51pm 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/734528/688 "2021-04-01T19:51:10Z")
And just released new multiplayer content. > **[No Man's Sky Sets off on an Expedition With a New Major Update](https://wccftech.com/no-mans-sky-expedition-update/)** > > No Man's Sky sets off on an expedition in yet another new major update for the game that just keeps on giving. Check out the details here. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2021, 8:13pm 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/734528/689 "2021-05-13T20:13:26Z")
[$357 million and three million ~~suckers~~ accounts](https://twinfinite.net/2021/05/star-citizen-video-scanning/), still no end in sight. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 8:30pm 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/734528/690 "2021-05-13T20:30:45Z")
Surely we are way past the point that gamers are fooled by cinematics and demos? ---
**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:** [May 13, 2021, 8:41pm 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/734528/691 "2021-05-13T20:41:21Z")
Some schmuck could post “I read that Disney bought Blizzard and is putting out a Diablo II movie starring The Rock!” and gamers would have debates about it within half a day. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2021, 8:46pm 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/734528/692 "2021-05-13T20:46:25Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Surely we are way past the point that gamers are fooled by cinematics and demos? Those cinematics and demos don’t count; they are just personal goals set by Chris Roberts. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2021, 10:01pm 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/734528/693 "2021-05-13T22:01:04Z")
It is sad that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that actually happened? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 8:44am 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/734528/694 "2021-08-23T08:44:54Z")
Star Citizen is free to play this week. I tried it for an hour or so, and–I really don’t get it. I tried the persistent universe mode first. It started me in a hotel room with no instruction as to where to go. I managed to slowly find my way around (ignoring a lot of non-functional stuff) until I came to a transport station. I had to wait for a car to show up. I got in and it took me to the starport. The ride was cool, but I’m pretty sure it would be tiresome the second time, let alone the thousandth. Anyway, I explored around the hangars, but they were empty and there was no indication where I might get a ship. I explored around some more and found a ship rental place. I think I managed to rent a ship, but again, no indication as to where it might be. I tried a couple of hangar bays but the whole thing was getting tedious, so I quit. I then tried the quick play mode, with combat against pirates. This is pretty much the worst space combat I’ve played. I’ve played the original Privateer, to Tie Fighter, to Freelancer, to No Man’s Sky, and a bunch in-between–but this was just dumb. I wasn’t able to shoot down a single pirate, nor were they able to shoot me down. Instead I crashed against the simulation walls endless times, apparently because the pirate is allowed to go outside the area but I’m not. Once I crashed into some stationary platform. Anyway, again it was all incredibly tedious. Maybe they’ll have a game in another 10 years. For now it barely counts as a tech demo. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 2:01pm 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/734528/695 "2021-08-23T14:01:39Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Maybe they’ll have a game in another 10 years. For now it barely counts as a tech demo. So it’s still the “Future of PC Gaming”, like the thread title says! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 2:13pm 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/734528/696 "2021-08-23T14:13:48Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > So it’s still the “Future of PC Gaming”, like the thread title says! And it always will be. ---
**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 23, 2021, 3:30pm 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/734528/697 "2021-08-23T15:30:40Z")
[[T]he crowdfunding total … recently passed $380 million and it’s currently sitting on $380,610,833.](https://twinfinite.net/2021/08/star-citizen-video-hospitals/) That’s an average of just over $118.75 per registered account. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 7:41pm 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/734528/698 "2021-08-23T19:41:33Z")
I am kinda wondering if I was just “doing it wrong” somehow. I’m sure there’s a way to escape the planet, but I just couldn’t be bothered after a while. I don’t need a tutorial, but 95% of the NPCs were just non-interactive, many of them T-posing, and the remaining 5% were voiced but had nothing useful to say. The worst _real-life_ rental car company gives me more information that I got in the game. In the world chat, people were joking that Chris Roberts has a private build of the game that actually works, while the rest of us have to put up with this version. That didn’t seem like a promising sign. Graphically, it looked pretty good, but performance was atrocious on a 3080 RTX at 34x14 resolution. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 12:45pm 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/734528/699 "2021-08-24T12:45:07Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I am kinda wondering if I was just “doing it wrong” somehow. I think you’re only “doing it wrong” is in wasting your time on it. Though at least you didn’t waste any money as well. ---
**Author:** ![smilingbandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@smilingbandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingbandit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 10:24pm 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/734528/700 "2021-08-25T22:24:10Z")
I have a personal rule: if the player can play _Wrong_, then something about the game design needs to explain that fact. They need to be able to rationally understand what is happening and why. Even very good games can suffer from this problem. Star Citizen is barely even a game at all, but no matter whether it’s called an Alpha or whatever, they’re charging real money so I consider it a released, if not finished, product. Games can use systems where the player isn’t supposed to “know” where to go or what to do. Those games should not, however, punish the player for that lack. There need to be ways for players to learn. text screens are bad, tutorials are mediocre, and best of all are building in the mechanics to the game. This is no mystery in the game design world. [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=34) [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=36)