SaltEMike reacts to the August Monthly Report for Star Citizen, highlighting progress in areas such as improved NPC behavior, combat animations, and ship art. The teams are also working on balancing the economy, creating new game modes, and preparing for CitizenCon, although some features are still awaited before certain aspects can be fully realized.
In SaltEMike’s reaction to the August Monthly Report for Star Citizen, he highlights several key points. Firstly, he mentions that in the PTU, non-armed NPCs can now pick up guns dropped by NPCs that are killed. However, their behavior is still buggy. NPC audio perception has been improved, and there have been advancements in combat behavior and reload animations. The team is working on AI accuracy to make encounters more unpredictable for players.
Regarding character art, work is being done on the Head Hunters gang, medical outfits, and a new flight suit. Ship art progress includes the completion of the Tumbrl Storm and the addition of two variants of an existing vehicle. An all-new ship has also progressed through white box, with updates to its interior space. The Santok is now almost complete.
The economy team is focused on rebalancing cargo and building a tool to investigate the current state of cargo. In Arena Commander, there are ongoing improvements to the heads-up display, custom lobbies, and the spectator module. The team is also designing new game modes, including a 2v2 mode for CitizenCon.
In terms of gameplay features, progress has been made on vehicle tractor beams and the Resource Network. Mission features include improvements to the Siege of Orison event and the development of ship restoration missions. There are also updates on data heists, ship trespassing, and the steel evidence mission. The team is making adjustments to weapon poses and procedural recoil.
Lastly, the graphics, VFX, and UI teams are working on various aspects such as global illumination, in-game branding, interactables, and cloud technology. The focus is shifting towards preparations for CitizenCon, with several teams concentrating on Pyro-related aspects, including Pyro online services and NPC behaviors. Notably, a Vulcan-only R tracing component is being implemented.
Overall, there is progress being made in various areas, such as combat behaviors, ship design, mission features, and economy balancing. However, there is still a sense of waiting for certain features and improvements before certain aspects such as cargo missions can be fully realized. The anticipation is building as the teams gear up for CitizenCon.