In the video, Daniel Raymond analyzes the recent Star Citizen live event that introduced base building and crafting mechanics, highlighting concerns about regional persistence and the management of player bases across different shards. He emphasizes the need for a balanced system that allows for effective resource management and crafting without overwhelming advantages, while also questioning the implications of land claims and exclusion zones in the game’s evolving mechanics.
In the video, Daniel Raymond discusses the recent Star Citizen live event focused on base building and crafting, expressing his thoughts and concerns regarding the new mechanics introduced. He emphasizes that this is just the beginning of discussions on these topics, particularly highlighting the longstanding issues surrounding sharding and server meshing. The most pressing question raised by the community was about how base building interacts with shards, which Daniel elaborates on, noting that each base will be visible across all shards within a region but not globally. This regional persistence raises concerns about players losing access to their bases and resources when switching regions, complicating the management of international organizations.
Daniel explains that the introduction of a regional level of the entity graph database means that players will have to rebuild their bases in different regions, as their previous structures and resources will not transfer. This setup effectively eliminates the possibility of a global shard, as overlapping bases and resource pools in different regions would create conflicts. He suggests that maintaining a two-tiered system of persistence—where bases and resources are replicated to a global database—would alleviate many of these issues. The idea of a “Highlander rule,” where only one active state exists on a shard, is proposed to simplify base management and defense.
The video also addresses the mechanics of base raids, suggesting that raids should only occur on the shard where the base is active, thereby preventing players from easily exploiting the system. Daniel raises questions about how personal inventories at organizational bases will be accessed by players on different shards, urging for a system that allows for clear coordination and prevents item duplication exploits. He emphasizes that the decision-making regarding base activation should lie with players rather than an algorithm, to ensure that the active state reflects the actual player presence.
Additionally, Daniel discusses the resource management aspect of base building, indicating that resource deposits will be global rather than shard-specific. This means players cannot deplete a resource in one shard and then exploit it again in another. The crafting system is also touched upon, with the importance of balancing upgrades and ensuring that player skill remains the primary determinant of success in PvP scenarios. He advocates for crafting to provide small benefits rather than overwhelming advantages, preserving the competitive nature of the game.
Lastly, Daniel reflects on the implications of land claims and the potential for players to claim valuable resources. He notes that while some players might view the beacon system as a pay-to-win mechanic, the dynamics of resource respawning and the requirement to complete story arcs before accessing certain claims balance the gameplay. The video concludes with a discussion of exclusion zones around claimed plots to prevent players from being boxed in, although Daniel questions the necessity of such zones given the game’s aerial mobility. He wraps up by encouraging viewers to stay engaged with the evolving mechanics of Star Citizen.