In this first episode of his new series “Talking Even More,” Even Lee dives into the recent medical changes introduced in Star Citizen patch 4.3.1, focusing specifically on how medical beds on ships and ground vehicles now function. Unlike stations and landing zones, which remain unchanged, these updates center on the consumption of med gel for respawns and injury healing on medical beds. Med gel is now a consumable resource, with different tiers of medical beds holding varying amounts and consuming med gel accordingly for respawns and healing injuries. However, a notable issue exists where partial med gel reserves can become wasted, prompting Even Lee to suggest a more tactical, percentage-based respawn system to better utilize remaining med gel and add depth to gameplay.
Refilling med gel is straightforward, with specific refill slots on ships like the Apollo and other medical beds. The update also redefined which ships carry which tier of medical beds, with tier three beds now found on ships like the Nursa, CR Pisces, and Idris, while tier two beds are present on the Apollo module, Anvil Terrapin medic, and others. Interestingly, the Idris saw its tier one bed downgraded to tier two. Respawn distances were also adjusted significantly, with tier three beds allowing respawns up to 50 kilometers away, tier two up to 8,000 kilometers, and tier one beds enabling respawns across the entire Stanton system, providing a wide range of tactical options for players.
Even Lee expresses cautious optimism about these changes, acknowledging they are a step in the right direction but noting that medical gameplay currently lacks meaningful risk or reward. Since players do not lose armor or weapons upon death—only the gear in their backpack—most prefer to simply respawn quickly rather than wait for a medic. This undermines the medical career’s relevance and gameplay impact. To address this, he suggests implementing gear loss or timed lockouts on equipment to incentivize calling medics and make medical gameplay more engaging and consequential.
The update also aims to curb the “one-man army” style of constant respawns by making med gel a costly resource, which will impact organizations that rely heavily on medical ships during combat scenarios. However, this could lead to increased spawn congestion at stations, which are already overwhelmed, highlighting a need for more hangars and infrastructure to support player activity. Even Lee acknowledges that while the changes introduce some practical gameplay elements, much of the current medical system still leans towards role-play and emergent scenarios rather than core gameplay due to the lack of real penalties tied to death.
Answering questions from Patreon supporters, Even Lee clarifies that these changes likely won’t affect overall player numbers but may influence how many players engage with medical ships. He believes the updates add some practical weight to medical gameplay but that the system still needs more risk factors to become a core loop. He also agrees that tier three beds should perhaps be limited to stabilization rather than full respawns to preserve the uniqueness of higher-tier medical care. Finally, he anticipates some resistance to allowing multiple players to set spawn points on capital ships due to the associated costs, emphasizing that spawning should come with a price to maintain balance and fairness in gameplay.
