In this video titled “Magic Beam Claw Gameplay,” the host discusses the new Salvage operation introduced in Star Citizen, expressing his mixed feelings about the simplified process of breaking down ships. The host explains the new gameplay loop where players can fracture and disintegrate larger chunks of ships using a magic beam instead of a claw, and asks for viewer opinions on whether they find the current gameplay satisfying or if they still hope for improvements in the future.
In this video titled “Magic Beam Claw Gameplay,” the host starts by explaining the delay for the episode, as he attended the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket in Orlando with the CEO of MyRadar. He expresses how cool it was to witness a launch as a fan of space and space games. Moving on to the main content, the host discusses the new Salvage operation introduced in Star Citizen. While understanding the developers’ limitations, he expresses his mixed feelings about the changes made to the gameplay. Previously, players could break apart ships into parts, but due to technical issues with bigger ships, they had to simplify the process. Now, players can scrape and fracture the hull of a ship, but mulching it apart like initially promised is no longer possible.
The host describes the new gameplay loop where players can fracture the ship into larger chunks, then go on to disintegrate it. The shields and power of the target ship need to be off to prevent griefing. Additionally, internal storage is converted into sellable boxes. However, the disappointment lies in the fact that the claw on the Reclaimer ship no longer functions like a claw. Instead, it has become a magic beam antenna. The host reminisces about the initial excitement of tearing apart a busted ship and expresses disappointment in the simplified process.
He explains that the crew members can still use tractor beams to move large chunks into the claw’s field of view, and the operator can switch between fracture and disintegrate modes. In the disintegrate mode, the larger pieces are siphoned up with a magic beam and become cargo that can be processed and sold. The advantage of choosing the Reclaimer ship over the Vulture ship is the ability to fracture larger objects. However, the host finds the gameplay loop lacking compared to what was initially pitched.
In closing, the host asks for viewer opinions and feedback on whether they find the fracturing gameplay satisfying or if they still hope for mulching to be possible in the future. He mentions that the developers might consider improvements to the gameplay loop after the upcoming 3.2.2 update. Despite his disappointment, the host thanks viewers and signs off, reminding them that there will be no Star Citizen live episode that day.