In the January monthly report for Star Citizen, the Squadron 42 team focused on AI features and spaceship behaviors, while the character and ship art teams worked on various designs. The core gameplay team collaborated to improve development processes, port Squadron 42 features to the Persistent Universe, and develop features for the upcoming cargo update, such as cargo freight elevators and commodity trading changes.
In the monthly report for January, it was highlighted that the Squadron 42 team is back and working on various AI features, including new behaviors and improvements to NPC usage of ladders and transit. They also made progress on spaceship behaviors, with fixes and changes to the new pilot combat behavior included in the Arena Commander mode. The character art team worked on racing flight suits and headhunter outfits, while the ship art team focused on the RSI Zeus and Polaris ships. The unannounced ship progress saw two variants moving through different development phases.
The core gameplay team was a major highlight of the report, as various teams, including character, vehicle, and Arena Commander, have been brought together to work as one unified pillar. This collaboration aims to improve the overall development process and deliver cohesive gameplay experiences. The team worked on porting Squadron 42 features to the Persistent Universe, as well as developing a wide range of features for the upcoming cargo update, such as cargo freight elevators, personal hangars, and commodity trading changes.
In terms of in-game branding, the environment team integrated branding elements into distribution centers, with a focus on signage for enhanced visibility and communication. The live tools team continued to work on network-related aspects, while the Montreal location team closed out mandates for settlements and worked on the cargo feature. Mission design focused on the ongoing Siege of Orison and Blockade Runner missions, while R&D worked on temporal render mode for atmosphere and clouds.
The UI team worked on freight elevator and commodity kiosk UI, while the VFX team focused on fixing log spam and developing the latest version of the Siege of Orison and Pyro outposts. The web platform team introduced a new launcher and worked on content experience improvements. Overall, the report showcased progress in various areas of development, with a strong emphasis on the core gameplay team’s collaboration and the upcoming cargo update.