This week’s Around the Verse update on Star Citizen talked about the progression on Squadron 42 and more specifically the finishing touches on the massive Bengal Carrier and the importance of AI systems.
New to this? Check out my Introducing Star Citizen article!
The massive Bengal Carrier ship is currently getting a “detail pass” on internal spaces including crew, the bridge and multiple hangars. The Bengal is one of the largest ships of the UEE fleet and through playtesting the devs found out that players are getting frustrated when trying to access certain areas. To solve these issues a sub deck transit system and several elevators have been designed and put into place. You can board this monorail that is running back and forth from one side of the flight deck to the other and save valuable time.
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In past updates we saw the Bengal fleet coming more and more together and lately the devs have been focusing on some of the lighter craft fighters. As the capital ships are being fleshed out, the devs have been also focusing hard on designs for the ship to ship weapons that will be mounted on their turrets. These turrets will have a crucial role in several missions from Squadron 42.
The props team continues to develop new and different “goodies” to be placed in the world of Star Citizen. Some of these examples have been positioned in hangars recently.The mess menu has been under heavy development too. You’d be surprised how detailed the various types of foods are and how realistic they look.
Another massive visual improvement has been done to the laser projectiles to complete the new cockpit experience. Visibility and readability has been prioritized with the ultimate goal being that you should feel that you are firing powerful beam weapons, capable of dealing devastating damage.
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The take-down system has also been improved with various new armed and unarmed surprise attack animations being added.
The skin shared system has also seen a significant upgrade. The characters that you meet and interact with in SQ42 are much more realistic
Big part of SQ42 is geared around ships and space combat. This is a single player experience, so its success is also heavily dependent on the NPCs’ behavior and their AI. Currently the dev teams are working on a new system that will allow each pilot to be more unique. Their behavior will be noticeably different, based on a number of factors – are they experienced or are they rookies, do they like to rush in “head first” into battle or do they prefer a more balanced and careful approach.
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The big focus is on the pilot’s AI, because they are what drives the ships and other vehicles. They are the power that make the wise or stupid decisions. If the pilot is reckless or inexperienced, that will reflect on his behavior regardless of what model and type of ship they pilot. Their AI will also be set differently based on their job – a bomber, a fighter or any other profession available.
The combat is split into three phases – approach, engage and break. The approach is about reaching a vantage point – the AI will decide which approach and in which direction is best to approach the target. Once the pilot reaches the target point, the second phase – combat – begins. The outcome is decided based on the skills of the AI.
Morale status of the NPCs plays a big role in deciding how the AI will react in certain situations. If, say, you are overwhelmed and the opponent’s power is clearly way more devastating than yours, your friendly NPC pilots may decide to simply leave you and desert from the upcoming battle.
Last, but not least – Star Citizen will have its very own “Nemesis System”. If you have played Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you know that this system is about personal relations between you (the player) and all the various main or random NPCs you encounter and get into contact. If, for example, you fight someone and let them live, next time you meet with this NPC, he or she will remember your previous encounter and will react accordingly.
To learn more about the Bengal Carrier and the AI systems, check out the full episode of this week’s Reverse the Verse.
