SaltEMike reacts with disappointment to the “Ask the Devs - UI Teams” episode of Star Citizen Live, feeling that it rehashes old topics rather than presenting new content. The UI team discusses the complexities of bringing UI elements from Squadron 42 to the Persistent Universe, fielding community questions on map functionality and hinting at future customization options, while the stream ends with technical issues preventing further developer discussions.
SaltEMike reacts to Star Citizen Live’s episode titled “Ask the Devs - UI Teams,” featuring a discussion with the user interface team. The live stream had experienced technical difficulties, which disrupted SaltEMike’s initial viewing plans, leading him to watch the re-uploaded version a few days later. Some confusion arises due to a change in the episode’s title, potentially implying a focus shift from engineering to UI, prompting questions about the content of the live stream. Host Jared Huckaby begins the stream by welcoming viewers back after a six-week hiatus following CitizenCon and introducing the UI team members for a Q&A session.
The UI team elaborates on their division into three teams: UI Tech Team, Squadron 42 UI Art and Design Team, and the Squadron 42 Feature Team. They discuss the complexity of transitioning UI elements designed for Squadron 42, a single-player game, into Star Citizen, a multiplayer game. Integration into the multiplayer environment requires consideration of additional systems like the mission system, location system, and server meshing. The team highlights the shifted development focus and resource reallocation that followed CitizenCon, which concentrated on integrating features created for Squadron 42 into the Persistent Universe (PU).
SaltEMike expresses disappointment with the content of the episode, feeling like it reiterates previous discussions rather than presenting new content. He hopes for more insightful Inside Star Citizen (ISC) episodes and useful Q&A follow-ups. Despite his concerns, he agrees that addressing questions for the developers is valuable but is let down by the prospect of rehashing the same topics from CitizenCon throughout the rest of the year. SaltEMike expects more clarity on which features are planned for the upcoming 4.0 release and which might be introduced sooner.
The UI team answers community questions about map functionality, including organizing markers with folders or tags, displaying information like planet populations and climate on the star map, and potential adjustments for multi-stop quantum travel route plotting. They discuss future enhancements like user-generated folder systems and data sharing. The topic of ship customizations is touched upon, with the team noting that further down the line, there might be increased customization options related to in-game items affecting UI appearance.
The stream closes with technical issues preventing a planned discussion with other developers from the resource management and future teams. Huckaby opts to take questions from viewers but refrains from providing specifics on unannounced topics. The session is dominated by informal conversations and Jared addressing questions from the chat rather than delivering significant new information on the game’s development.