“This week we check in with Physics Programmer John Pritchett, we take an in-depth look at Gallenson Tactical Systems, and the Austin QA Team plays a little game with us we like to call Which Glitch? You don’t want to miss it.”
In this episode of Around the Verse, Ben Lesnick starts off by mentioning that Sandi Gardiner is out of town in London working on the Squadron 42 mocap/pcap shoot. He then introduces the Reliant, the third starter ship in the game that can fly vertically and horizontally. The ship was designed by Dave Hobbins and is currently available for concept sale. Ben encourages everyone to check it out, even if they aren’t interested in another starter ship.
Travis Day and Nat Sherman from the Santa Monica office then discuss the success of the Reliant’s concept sale, with 11,000 ships sold already. They also talk about the implementation of physically based damage in the game, which uses values like mass and kinetic energy to attribute damage to ships. They are working on balancing this system and making it more dynamic.
David Langoliers, a senior producer, talks about the development of hit reaction animations and grenade priming. They are also focusing on perfecting first-person movement in the game. They mention that they are working on standardizing cockpit templates to make ship building more efficient.
Ali Banyan, the audio director, introduces Baba Solo, the dialogue specialist for Star Citizen. They talk about the importance of dialogue in creating a relatable and immersive experience for players. They also discuss the progress in implementing dialogue in the game.
Lastly, Liz Ohanian presents Ship Shape, a segment that focuses on ship design. She discusses Gallant & Tactical Systems, a ship weapons manufacturing company, and their unique style guide. The style guide helps artists create weapons that match the company’s aesthetic and functionality. Liz also shares some concept art and inspirations for Gallant & Tactical Systems.
Overall, this episode provides updates on various aspects of the game, from ship design to gameplay mechanics and dialogue implementation.