Ryan, also known as Mac, shares his detailed experience playing the Star Citizen Alpha 4.10 Siege of Orison instanced mission, highlighting its challenging combat, dynamic atmosphere, and promising gameplay despite some AI inconsistencies and performance issues. He views the mission as a fun, structured PvE experience with potential for cooperative play and progress-saving features, encouraging viewers to share their thoughts and support his content.
In this video, Ryan, also known as Mac, shares his experience playing the Star Citizen Alpha 4.10 instancing tech preview, specifically focusing on the Siege of Orison mission. He explains that while he can discuss his experience in detail, he is restricted by the Evocati NDA from showing gameplay footage or audio, so the visuals in the background are either official trailers or footage from earlier builds. Ryan managed to play for two to three hours and provides an overview of the mission’s structure, noting that progress within an instance is saved even if you die and restart, but it’s unclear if progress persists across different sessions.
Ryan describes the gameplay as challenging and enjoyable, with varied combat scenarios including close-quarters fights, snipers, and enemy tactics like flanking and using plasma grenades. He highlights the mission’s dynamic day-to-night cycle, which enhances the atmosphere, and mentions the presence of space whales around the platforms as a nice visual touch, though they seem more like a spectacle than active game elements. The mission’s briefing communications are praised for clarity, and the overall combat feels engaging, especially when playing solo, though he suggests it would be more fun and effective in a group setting.
He points out some shortcomings, such as enemy AI awareness being inconsistent, with some enemies failing to detect him even when flanking. Performance-wise, Ryan notes fluctuating frame rates, with client FPS averaging around 30 but dipping to 18 at times, and server FPS remaining steady but low at 18-20. He had anticipated better performance from instanced content but acknowledges that further optimization is expected before the final release. The mission’s design feels more like a scripted FPS map now, which contrasts with the previous more open feel of the platform, but this is understood as part of instancing’s goal to provide structured PvE scenarios.
Ryan also discusses gameplay elements like repair and engineering tasks within the mission and mentions loot, including the Arlington rifle, which he found rewarding. He notes that some features, like super heavy armor for enemies, are not yet implemented but expected in future updates. He expresses hope that instanced missions will support larger groups, allowing up to 10 players for better cooperative play and that players will be able to save progress between sessions to continue later without starting over. This would make Siege of Orison a valuable training and practice ground for organizations within the game.
In conclusion, Ryan feels positive about Siege of Orison as an instanced piece of content, recognizing it as a fun and challenging experience that, while different from its earlier iteration, still holds promise. He invites viewers who have played the mission to share their thoughts and encourages support for his channel through subscriptions and patronage. He also promotes his Twitch streams and another camping-related channel, thanking his audience for their support and expressing enthusiasm for continued engagement with Star Citizen’s evolving gameplay.