The Star Citizen LIVE episode featured developers discussing ongoing improvements to FPS combat, including armor reworks, level design enhancements, new gadgets, and audio upgrades aimed at creating a more immersive and balanced gameplay experience. They also highlighted advancements from Squadron 42’s FPS systems and teased upcoming weapons and features, emphasizing their commitment to refining FPS mechanics before the game’s 1.0 release.
The Star Citizen LIVE episode focused on FPS combat and gameplay, featuring key developers Luke Presley, Sam, and Zach, who discussed various aspects of the game’s ongoing development. They began by addressing community questions, including the status of the Apex Valadar creature, which remains a work in progress as the dedicated creature team strives to perfect the apex experience. The discussion then turned to the medic profession, acknowledging its current underwhelming state but highlighting plans for significant improvements and new features leading up to the game’s 1.0 release, including enhanced medic armor.
Level design was a major topic, with Sam acknowledging past shortcomings in creating environments conducive to FPS PvP. The team has since expanded the level design team significantly and is now focusing on crafting more dynamic, multi-entrance locations with balanced sightlines and cover to better support PvP gameplay. They also discussed upcoming gadgets such as deployable shields, breaching charges, and area denial grenades, many of which are currently featured in Squadron 42 and planned for the Persistent Universe (PU) in the future.
A substantial portion of the episode was dedicated to the upcoming armor rework, led by Luke. The rework aims to diversify armor choices, making light, medium, and heavy armors distinct with unique benefits and tactical trade-offs. This includes mass mitigation systems where heavier armor supports heavier weapons better, different armor archetypes like combat and utility with varied stats, and new features such as EVA backpacks and specialized suits for roles like medics and scouts. The goal is to encourage players to select armor based on playstyle and mission requirements rather than defaulting to heavy armor for all scenarios.
The team also shared insights into FPS audio improvements, including spatialized sound to help players locate enemies more accurately and reflect the weight and type of armor worn. Weapon handling is set to be more realistic with inertia effects based on weapon weight and armor loadout. Additionally, the developers teased new weapons coming this year, such as a crossbow, a med gun pistol, a lever-action rifle, and sci-fi variants of popular weapon types, all designed to enrich combat variety and player choice.
Finally, the developers highlighted the significant advancements made in Squadron 42’s FPS systems, which serve as a testing ground for features that will eventually transfer to the PU. These include smoother player animations, improved sprint mechanics, better weapon handling, enhanced AI, and refined audio design. They also touched on future plans like item wear and tear, swimming mechanics, and the balance of explosive weapons like the Doom Boom. The show concluded with a reminder that many of these features are still in design or early implementation phases but reflect the team’s commitment to delivering a polished and immersive FPS experience within Star Citizen.