Planet details for Star Citizen versions 2.6 and 2.7 with PG ratings.
Planet details for Star Citizen versions 2.6 and 2.7 with PG ratings.
A German gaming publication obtained complete details about upcoming releases and participated in testing the titles. Visuals are included below. Highlights from the magazine: http://imgur.com/a/whwyC Images from the magazine: http://imgur.com/a/dpW3Z Feedback from user /u/blablablablabla78 notes that 2.6 will introduce Star Marine as a standalone module, similar to Arena Commander. This was also used by PC Games staff, who claim it feels more refined in first-person perspective compared to the basic FPS experience in PTU. - A note of interest: they discussed map options. 2.7 will feature procedurally generated planets, allowing exploration of the entire Stanton system. All planets and moons can be accessed directly, with new lighting enhancing realism. They mention that the updated visuals make approaching planets feel more natural. They state this approach surpasses Elite Dangerous in both look and feel. You can choose any landing spot manually; automatic landings place you at fixed zones. Updates from Microtech and Hurston will follow after 2.7. They plan to make Stanton fully functional by year-end, including stations and landing points (around 40 locations). More jobs and missions are expected. Trading will launch later, with Chris explaining that accepted missions in space stations could eventually lead to planetary surfaces. It’s unclear if this will appear in 2.7, but it seems SQ42 might benefit. Planets and moons orbit their stars, featuring realistic day-night cycles. When passing over oceans, they noticed a naturally curved horizon. Trees and animals appear to be planned using pre-made eco-system templates, which can be applied to surfaces. Some transitions blend seamlessly for a cohesive look. Surface details are managed by a dynamic level-of-detail system. A few visual effects appeared during planet approaches but were praised as impressive. They were also impressed by the cloud system, which uses volumetric textures rather than simple layers, giving depth and affecting visibility—mountains cutting through clouds, valleys hidden beneath. They confirm there’s no artificial limit on view distance; clarity comes from atmospheric calculations. Parallax-occlusion maps with dynamic tessellation enhance surface details. The GTX 980 handled 100 FPS on planetary surfaces, indicating solid performance (editor stats), though in-game was around 45 FPS. Some information about the subsumption-AI suggests NPCs may have personalities and memory, reacting to players. To maintain efficiency, they adjust NPC update rates—lowering them to once per hour when no one is nearby. They expressed genuine delight that all Foundry 42 Frankfurt staff were genuinely appreciative of working on this ambitious project, noting the real enthusiasm rather than a staged response.
The pattern should appear every week or two, then after a month it shifts to 2.6, then 2.7, continuing in the same sequence.