In a recent fan-organized event in Las Vegas, Shan Tracy, Managing Director of Technical Operations at Cloud Imperium Games, shared valuable insights about Star Citizen’s ongoing development and future plans. He emphasized that Star Citizen will remain cutting-edge by continuously evolving its proprietary Star Engine and tools, rather than switching to external engines. Chris Roberts, the game’s creator, is deeply passionate about technology and constantly monitors advancements to incorporate beneficial innovations into the game. The Star Engine is tailored specifically for Star Citizen’s unique requirements, ensuring that it can scale and improve alongside the game’s development without needing complete overhauls.
Regarding the potential licensing of the Star Engine to external developers, Shan confirmed that this is not planned due to contractual agreements and resource constraints. The focus remains firmly on optimizing the engine and tools for Star Citizen and Squadron 42, ensuring that development resources are not diverted away from these flagship projects. This prioritization reassures the community that the engine’s evolution will directly benefit the game’s quality and performance.
One major gameplay feature discussed was Theaters of War, a combined arms mode akin to Battlefield’s rush mode, which has been delayed and partially integrated into the Persistent Universe (PU) instead of Arena Commander. While initial tests faced optimization and desync issues, many elements of this mode are now organically present in the PU’s large-scale battles, such as those at Hatheror. Shan expressed satisfaction with this organic integration, noting that the PU’s evolving gameplay offers more engaging and impactful experiences than the originally planned closed mode.
Social features and future technology were also highlighted. Cloud Imperium plans to merge Spectrum (their communication platform) with in-game social tools, including VOIP, to streamline player interaction. While VR support is desired, it is not a priority at this stage but will likely focus initially on cockpit viewing. AI integration is a significant area of research, with potential applications including NPCs that can respond vocally to player input through VOIP, enabled by extensive voice line generation using AI. Although still in early R&D phases, this technology promises to revolutionize player interaction and immersion in the game.
Finally, Shan provided updates on Planet Tech v5 and the Genesis system, revealing that a complete new planet will showcase these advancements in one major release rather than incremental updates. This approach aims to deliver a comprehensive and visually impressive experience. Additionally, the long-requested feature to open ship doors via keybind or mobiglass is technically feasible now, with resource allocation being the main hurdle. The positive community response to this feature may accelerate its implementation, improving quality of life for players. Overall, the interview offered a thorough update on Star Citizen’s tech roadmap and development priorities.
