SaltEMike reacts to a Star Citizen Live Q&A discussing ongoing vehicle flight and balance updates, highlighting community frustration over delays and lack of transparency. He remains cautiously optimistic about future improvements, particularly the upcoming flight model overhaul, while criticizing the slow progress and communication issues.
The video features SaltEMike reacting to a Star Citizen Live Q&A focused on vehicle flight and balance updates. The discussion highlights the long-standing development challenges and delays in implementing significant changes, particularly in the flight model. The hosts note that while the developers have been working in the background, little tangible progress has been shared publicly, leading to frustration among the community. They emphasize that much of the work remains behind the scenes, with the developers trying to manage expectations and prepare for upcoming updates.
The core of the conversation revolves around the current state of ship balance, especially for heavy fighters, and the ongoing efforts to refine their roles and performance. Developers explain that heavy fighters are intended to be more durable and firepower-focused but less maneuverable than light fighters. However, they acknowledge that these ships are underperforming and are being retuned in light of the new flight model. The team is cautious, emphasizing that ship tuning is an iterative process, involving multiple passes to achieve the desired archetypes and roles, with no final decisions yet made.
A significant part of the discussion covers the upcoming flight model overhaul, which aims to create more realistic and engaging ship physics. The developers describe how this new model will introduce features like more nuanced maneuvering, better control surface physics, and a more dynamic quantum travel experience. They clarify that the changes are an evolution of existing systems, intending to make space combat and traversal more fluid and believable. The developers also stress that these updates are still in development, with many features being tested in Squadron 42 first before moving to the persistent universe.
Throughout the video, the hosts criticize the communication and development process, pointing out that promises made years ago—such as new flight mechanics, quantum travel, and other features—have yet to materialize. They express frustration over the slow pace of progress and the frequent delays, often attributed to shifting priorities and the complexity of the systems involved. The conversation also touches on the challenges of balancing a vast array of ships and systems, the difficulty of maintaining a cohesive game experience, and the importance of incremental updates rather than sweeping changes.
In conclusion, SaltEMike reflects a mix of cautious optimism and disappointment. While he remains hopeful about the future of Star Citizen and eager to try the new flight model, he criticizes the development process for its lack of transparency and perceived stagnation. The overall tone underscores the community’s desire for more concrete progress and clearer communication from the developers. Despite the frustrations, there is a shared hope that these ongoing efforts will eventually lead to a more polished, engaging game, with the upcoming updates serving as a step in that direction.