Yeah, if you want a feature-lite space sim, get ELITE DANGEROUS or STAR TREK ONLINE or STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC or EVE ONLINE. The fact that those are not scratching the naysayers' itch, shows that STAR CITIZEN is on to something.

Or maybe stop following the news so much. A watched pot never boils. Maybe DON'T check SC news on a daily or weekly basis and maybe just check in monthly or quarterly. Yeah, the FPS / Star Marine module is a snag in the system, but they do have the devs to work on other parts of the game AND increase the number of devs working on FPS to fix its flaws. 

Finally, for those who argue just get SC out the door flaws and all, yeah, they did that with Arena Commander a week before Christmas and it was a buggy mess and suddenly the cries for Chris Roberts to just "get it out the door" quieted way the frell down. Plus many of the naysayers "knew SC was fail and were 'smart' enough not to back it", if so, why are you so upset? It's no skin off your back. For early backers, SC has offered refunds and for late backers, c'mon, you already saw the game had expanded beyond merely a space combat sim and with that came delays to make the First Person Universe better.

I can't wait fot Squadron 42... The rest of it could go up in flames for all I care.  

I was initially very interested in the game untl they went crazy with the rewards. With people spending hundreds, even thousands of dollars on the game already it just feels like a pay to win scenario, or at the very least, like if all I did was buy the game, I'd be way behind the curve.That has pretty much killed most of my interest. 

@MarkHanson1 I can actually understand your POV. No matter how many times people say that you can "earn the items in the game for free" - time is money, folks. 

I've also felt that very thing with Star Citizen. I WISH I'd had the $250 Kickstarter that Derek Smart had. The Constellation and all that other cool swag? 

Yes, I can get a "Connie" as they say, now. But it's not with LTI - which, supposedly isn't going to be worth all that much, yet people still consider it probably the most valuable thing in the SC universe, at this point.  We don't know what the LTI would exactly be worth - my personal guess would be that it would loosely be the same as a sub. You pay your sub, you get your ships back when they blow up. Or, you have LTI.. or on a few ships I bought in later sales, a 2 year's worth of insurance, or whatever.

In any case, it's certainly an advantage given to those who heard about the game earlier than others. In my case, I just hopped on board when I did find out about it, and that was that, but I still wish I'd been able to get in on the kickstarter.

Which, btw, is applicable to pretty much all kickstarted games. Crowfall and Camelot Unchained have both been pretty good, however, for giving pretty good odds on getting very similar stuff to what Kickstarters got - maybe a bit more expensive, but nothing too extravagant. :)

@KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 How can you say all that when the game's not out?  For all we know by the time the game comes out that $400 transport can carry super duper extreme semi-sentient plasma torpedo clusters that will one touch kill every $50 fighter ship within 2 parsecs.

@Porculasalvania @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 Because of an important rule of game developing called, "balancing." Your comment made me laugh though. I imagine you weren't actually serious, but I did want to answer your question seriously just in case you're new to gaming and didn't know how games work

@BrandonEggleston @Porculasalvania @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 If you really think games are balanced, especially when a cash shop is involved, best of luck to you.

@Porculasalvania @BrandonEggleston @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 Cash shop? The only cash shop after release is going to be cosmetic items. Meaning in a few months you wont be able to tell who bought ships early and who got them in game. 

@BrandonEggleston @Porculasalvania @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 They're selling ships for $1000 right now. Do you really think they're going to stop that once they launch?

@Porculasalvania @BrandonEggleston @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 Yes, they've already said that you won't be able to pay real money for ships after launch. You should research a game before spouting off random stuff, because it just makes you look silly. I do have to say real quick though I love your avatar picture and name. Not sure if you drew it or not but it's great. And the name is great too.. I've tried to be unique like that but fail horribly. 

@BrandonEggleston @Porculasalvania @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 Lol thanks,

Respectfully - my main point is that we can't predict the future.  Elite Dangerous nixed their offline-only mode despite earlier promises.  How many MMO's do we know of that promised quarterly, or even monthly updates that couldn't keep that promise?

Now take Star Citizen - and for full disclosure I'm an original backer - I got a $125 USD Freelancer package back in October of 2012.  I don't want a refund - I want the game.  But it distresses me how much monetization the development cycle has had, and on some level I can't blame them for that - if people threw money at me I'd scramble to figure out how to catch as much of it as I could too.  But they promise that you shouldn't have to pay a subscription once you've bought the game.  So how else are they going to make money once the game goes live?

Are they really going to take their current cash shop, which sells ships, shields, and weapons and take all those out, leaving just some posters that you can put up in your ship hangar?  I'm just saying that I take these promises with some very coarse grains of salty doubt.  There is no cash shop for any live game that sells purely cosmetic items.

@Porculasalvania @BrandonEggleston @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 You're right we can't predict the future. However to make up assumptions based on one's belief is worse than going off what they have said. I mean whats next... You're going to say Star Citizen is going to have flying monkeys and space cows plus all planets will be rainbow colored and other stuff just because "we can't predict the future?" The fact is that MANY games are making a good revenue with a cosmetic only shop and Star Citizen is not some Korean made Pay to Win game. I guess my point is logic applies and should be used when thinking about the future of games. I understand some people don't get logic. 

@Porculasalvania @BrandonEggleston @KenFromChicago @MarkHanson1 Elite has a cosmetic only cash shop BTW. That's just one of many examples. 

@MarkHanson1 "Pay to win" WHAT? 

A $50 fighter ship can beat a $400 transport ship in combat. 

A $50 racer ship can beat a $400 battle ship in racing.

A $50 starter ship can beat a $400 passenger ship in exploration.

There's no one ship that' can do it all. EVERY ship has strengths and weaknesses.

And yeah, more expensive ships in the same category might do better in that category, but yeah, that's how it is in real life. An expensive race car will do better at racing. An expensive tank will do better at combat. An expensive 18-wheeler cross-country truck will be better at transport. But here's the thing, all the ships will be available with IN-GAME currency--aka they will be free, at least moneywise, even if they may cost you timewise. IOW if you don't wanna spend money, then don't. Just wait for the game to launch.

CIG just automatically refunded Smart's Kickstarter pledge. CIG used Section 5 of Kickstarter's Terms of Service:

"Project Creators may cancel or refund a Backer’s pledge at any time and for any reason, and if they do so, are not required to fulfil the reward."

Link to the e-mail
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4497650/star-citizen-refund-rsi.jpg

His tweet about it

https://twitter.com/dsmart/status/620790095306584065

So now Smart can't take any personal action against CIG, which if we know Smart is not gonna deter him from speaking against CR, CIG or SC.

@dsmart3000ad I think you might need to modify your latest article to reflect that you're no longer backing SC

"As backers of this project, here is our list of demands:"

This is all so delicious

https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/3d7po1/goodbye_derek_smart_how_cig_pulled_the_rug_out/

@DanielStarkSimons If you mean like in a sycophantic White Knight sort of way, then yeah. It changes nothing. I stand by my actions, and I know that I will be 100% proven right. It's only a matter of time before the other penny drops.

@dsmart3000ad Of course you think you'll be proven 100% right. Most belligerent, delusional egomaniacs do.

Star Citizen will be released and you and your cohorts will still be on this asinine crusade of yours. Enjoy your aimless hate, the rest of us will be neck deep in the SC universe, while you'll still be spruiking whatever uninteresting janky turd you are currently working on. 

@minefields @dsmart3000ad Well, it just means that he's still sticking to his stated opinions regardless of his backer status, which is fine. There are enough people who are sticking to much less reasoned opinions despite not being a backer and never intending to get SC even after release.

While CIG's policy has been one of no refunds, that have given out at least some. Was trying for a discussion with Manzes some time ago where he was talking about trying to get a refund and had been successful.  About the same time as the ED no offline = refund spectacle.  He had successfully gotten a refund and I was trying to find out how he did it, so that anyone who may have wanted one would know.   Unfortunately the reply I got had very little information regarding the process he went through.  

So if you backed SC and want a refund, you can try asking one of the many Manzes aliases, though it'll probably be far easier to ask dsmart3000ad if a CIG staff member was mentioned with his refund and then get hold of him or her.

I'm a fan - a huge one, if dropping over $1.5k on ships for myself and three family members is any indication. So, I guess you could say I have faith this game will be good.. even great.

I will say that I was pretty turned off, however, by the recent ship offer for $400. If they want to make new ships, that's cool and all, but I feel like the game would benefit more from cheaper ships of greater variety. It just seems that their trend seems to be this ever increasing (with a few minor exceptions) litany of ships that get every more increasing in price. There comes a point where I, as a gamer and excessive spender am left to wonder if they're just trying to see when we're going to finally beg for mercy or call B.S.

Ultimately, I want this game to succeed on every level. But the least they could do is make me feel like less of an ass by toning down the excessive cries for more, more. more. (Money, bigger ships, etc)

@JakeDunnegan I pledged $45 for a starter package and I've never ever felt pressure to buy these bigger ships. And looking at the website I count 25 ships (including variants) for a single person. 

Is $400 for a ship ridiculous? Yes, when you consider that you'll be able to earn it in-game for free. All I can say is that none of the money pledged to the game via ship sales goes into somebody's pocket, it'll go right into the development and future of the game.

@Tr3vayne @JakeDunnegan I appreciate what you're saying - though, you have to admit, you can't prove/admit/etc that "none of that money pledged to the game via.. pocket" bit is the least bit true. And, for that matter, I've heard that type of statement before, but it's also a bit .. odd, I guess.

Those devs who are developing - they're not volunteers. They have mortgages to pay. Mouths to feed. What else is going to be done with the money except advertise, pay rent, build servers - and pay developers? I'm not sure what in the earth people are thinking when they say that it's not going into someone's pocket. I would hazard a guess that  developers pay is the single largest destination of the 'donated' money.

I don't mind buying the ships in advance of launch. I've done it repeatedly. However, I am not a huge fan of the head games involved with explaining how it's somehow some type of donation for the benefit of mankind or whatever the heck it's posited as. Just come out and say that you're buying a ship for use in the game and be done with it. And at least admit (talking to CIG, here) that your'e gouging people for the luxury of a .. well.. luxury liner.

I don't understand why people keep acting like they are being hung upside down and shaken free if their cash. I'm with you I have one ship. Every sale has come and gone and all I did was say "ooo! That'll be nice when the game comes out. " I'm certainly not sitting around weighing rent or new ship.

@GoJammit My plan from the very beginning was to role play and start from scratch in SC right after Sq42. I'll work my way to bigger or better ships from my starting location.

@JakeDunnegan In no way am I saying that people are working for free. CIG employs about 260 people and another 200 are employed in the studios they outsource work too. My statement was about how no one is keeping those millions to themselves, at least to my knowledge. I know that people would say that CR is gonna take the money and run but really when has that happened before? Or that he had walked away with development money? Or that any of his past games have been scams? This is why I believe that one way or another the game will be finished, maybe not with all those features that have been promised but

And with the latest ship, they had called it a luxury item, that it wasn't for everyone and yeah not a lot of people bought one. Personally I'm not interested in handing over anymore of my money and not because they already have $85 mil but because I understand that this whole thing is a huge gamble.

Have you ever tried to get a refund? I've heard that they have offered them in the past on a case by case basis. Maybe check that out.

@Tr3vayne @GoJammit I understand they aren't shaking people for cash, @GoJammit and I really appreciate that you want to role play in the universe, Tr3vayne. That's seriously cool and I wish I had the time to play it like that! ;)

Note, I'm not saying that CR or SC is trying to put a gun to people's heads, however - it should be emphasized that there are rules out there that have a basis in fact. Like, you aren't allowed to market cigarettes to kids. Or you can't advertise hard liquor where you actually see someone taking a sip of the alcohol, etc. 

I do look at video games, particularly to some people, as an addiction and/or a place where it's possible to really catch gullible people, and we all have our vulnerabilities. Just because something's legal, doesn't make it right.

Having said that, I'm not trying to propose that SC is doing any of the above.. but I'm definitely getting a vibe that is "not good" with their current trends. More, bigger, more expensive, etc etc. 

Why not have more $20 ships? Why not more smaller stuff, like runabouts, or fighters like the Merlin? Why does it have to be $200, then $300, then $400?

They are seriously sucking a lot of the gaming $$s out of the gaming community and they have the potential to really wreck things if they don't succeed. How trusting will we be as a community? How many other dreams would be dashed?

I look at Brian Fargo - who has every bit of the gaming dev chops as Chris Roberts does, and his games are being made for $3M a piece - half of the money he's taking out of profits from previous titles. 

That is cool. And the games are fantastic. 

I get that SC is going to be, at least, we all hope - the biggest dang thing ever. I seriously, seriously want it to be! It's every space game I've ever dreamed of in the past 30+ years since I started gaming on a C-64 when in 1983! ;) 

Anyway, sorry I kind of went on about two points there - one about more, cheaper options, so that people with smaller budgets can get in on the "cool, I bought another ship!" trend - AND it would look less frickin greedy, and also, the risk in all this money being dumped by the gaming community into one very... expansive basket, at this point.

I mean, look how hard it is for MOP to dig up $1k a month to run the place. (Patron). And SC is doing that with 3 of the new ships. 

Crazy.

Sorry for the messes in here guys - did some clean-up of the Manzes sockpuppet.

@breetoplay You do realize that even though you're removing legit posts, they still remain in the user logs (which I've now exported, screen capped etc), right?

http://www.livefyre.com/profile/75268907/

So why exactly did you remove a post which was a quote about what CR said about funding, and the YouTube video?

In other words, why did you delete comment # 344672295?

http://massivelyop.com/2015/07/10/the-soapbox-star-citizen-is-still-worth-the-wait/#lf_comment=344672295

@breetoplay so why did you delete mine? I'm not Manzes (whoever that is)

Also, this is what you said, and which appeared in my email. 

"Sorry for the messes in here guys - did some clean-up of you-know-who."

@dsmart3000ad @breetoplay Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude go outside.

@RoninTheDog @dsmart3000ad @breetoplay why? It's Florida. The Sun's out.

@dsmart3000ad @RoninTheDog On this, we agree. 

@dsmart3000ad @breetoplay Let´s watch all the bright morphing colors of the rainbow together dude, just you and me, hand in hand walking along the beach..

@dsmart3000ad @breetoplay Yeah. I said you-know-who before I realized you were in the comments. I came to the thread after seeing reports of the sockpuppet in our admin panel. I was talking about Manzes and only after seeing you here realized I could be mistaken for meaning you, and I didn't, hence my edit.

@dsmart3000ad @breetoplay 1) Livefyre deletes orphan comments on its own. 2) Manzes is a constant spammer who has been banned a solid dozen times. 3) Sockpuppetry is bannable here. 4) Reposting moderated comments is unwelcome here. 5) Your specific post was ad hom and deleted.

Edit to add: I went back and looked at your post again. I thought you were talking about this site, not RSI. I'm reinstating it, minus the clickbait accusations (always an auto-delete here), but I am not sure that it will stick since it's an orphaned comment.

@breetoplay @dsmart3000ad Yeah, it's all good. I figured it out awhile back, as I said here on Twitter. 

https://twitter.com/dsmart/status/620641705016950784

Absolutely no game is worth "waiting" or wasting idle time anticipating the potential quality of your expectations over a long period of time. Why give yourself unwarranted anxiety? Unless you've already committed yourself with large sums of money toward the kickstarter fund, otherwise  there's really no need to build any anxiety, anticipation, or unreasonable expectations.

Far too many games out right now that you can enjoy. Let development take it's course for Star Citizen... Go play the games that are available now.

@JohnSmith2323 Honestly this comment says anything I could ever say about Star Citizen and more (intentionally or unintentionally).

Bravo.

@arktourosx @JohnSmith2323 Hold your applause. The pictures of the ship are for something that was just created. There are plenty of screen shots available for fps and one of the landing zones if the author had bothered to put them up. Also, I don't think the fps pic they have is concept art.

@arktourosx @JohnSmith2323 You are both being wilfully ignorant about this. No matter, this circlejerk you're a part of will grow smaller in number and disappear completely once the persistent universe is released. Wait, no...I'm sure SC will have its own dedicated hate brigade no matter what as you all seem to flip your shit so spectacularly everytime the game is mentioned.

Hear hear, Jef! I can't agree more. Your first articles on this game actually brought me to Massively, glad to see you aren't burnt out on the wait. 

Sad that no one can write something good about SC without the troglodytes come out with their hate.

I'm just wondering when we will see the game they made. After all, they are experts in everything and yet, have not seen 1 game the haters have made. 

If you hate SC so much, why waste your time saying how much you hate it? Your hate will not stop SC from being the #1 space game for the next 10+ years.

YOU CAN'T STOP STAR CITIZEN.....

If you really hate SC come to the conventions and protest SC... let's see how that goes...

@thebrockelley You haters provide the best entertainment.

Seriously though, I have to ask. Are you a backer? If so, what exactly is it that you have been let down by so far? If not, what REDACTED business is it really what you think?

@JohnSmith2323 Come on. We all know who you are.

Make some more SC hate post troll accounts, how long is your Excel Sheet with fake personas?

Seven SC hate posts in a few hours - what a pathetic waste of time.

As part of the open development process, RSI put out their weekly Star Marine status update. Looks like they are a lot closer to rolling it out in a proper state. Not a big FPS player but excited to see how this will play when released. Here's the update plus some VFX shots...

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14829-Star-Marine-Status-Update

https://player.vimeo.com/video/133192308

@BobDobalina “Star Marine is delayed indefinitely.”  

@MrFester @BobDobalina Well done for quoting a website that twisted the truth into clickbait.  And your point is what exactly?

https://i.imgflip.com/o2b9b.jpg

@JohnSmith2323 @JefStillWaiting you like talking to yourself, don´t you? Quick, make some more troll accounts!

Wish we could ban all your trolls from playing the final game