CitizenCon 2953 Day 2 featured updates on Star Citizen, including character advancement, first-person gameplay, ship flight, NPC behavior, and base building. The event showcased improvements to visuals, mechanics, and customization, as well as the addition of settlements and customizable bases, with Squadron 42 confirmed as feature complete, although no release date was provided.
Day two of CitizenCon 2953 showcased a plethora of exciting updates for Star Citizen. The event featured panels on character advancement, first-person gameplay, ship flight, NPC behavior, and base building. In character advancement, they discussed improved character visuals, faction dynamics, hygiene mechanics, and an expanded character customization system. First-person gameplay included improved movement mechanics, power slides, and new features like radiation detection and takedowns. NPC interactions and combat were also highlighted, with traits driving their behavior and the addition of contextual takedowns and weapon misfires.
The panel on ship flight revealed enhancements to the ship UI, cockpit immersion, quantum travel, AI combat, and atmospheric flight. The UI improvements made it more tactile and intuitive, with the option to bind up to 100 hotkeys to the cockpit. Quantum travel became a more hands-on experience, requiring players to navigate within a specific corridor to avoid damaging ship components. Atmospheric flight now included realistic gliding mechanics and overheating thrusters. AI combat was made challenging with varying styles and tactics, longer times to kill, precision targeting options, and targeting specific ship components for strategic advantage.
The event also showcased the addition of settlements and bases to the game. Players can expect new settlements, outposts, and stations in both Stanton and Pyro systems. Settlements will feature different architectural styles based on their purpose, such as trading, mining, and outlaw activities. Pyro stations alone will have 26 different factions to interact with, depending on player reputation. Bases will be customizable, with three security levels and numerous building options, ranging from hand tools to massive structures like the Pioneer. Base builders will be able to establish defenses, extract resources, and even build ships.
The highly anticipated Squadron 42 announcement confirmed that the game is now feature complete, although no release date was provided. New trailers showcased the impressive visual quality and emotional range of characters. Elements from Squadron 42 will also be integrated into Star Citizen in the future. While release dates remain uncertain, many of the features shown throughout CitizenCon are expected to be implemented within the next 12 months. The event left players excited for the upcoming Pyro playground release and optimistic about the progress of the game.