The video explores the future of industrial gameplay in Star Citizen, emphasizing the development of interconnected systems like refining, salvaging, and crafting to create meaningful, specialized roles and enhance player engagement beyond combat. It also advocates for expanded guild missions, improved trading systems, and dynamic content such as resource wars that blend industry and combat to foster collaboration and competition among players.
In this video, Loud Guns explores the future of industrial and economic gameplay in Star Citizen, emphasizing its importance in providing meaningful context and purpose to the game’s combat aspects. He begins by framing the discussion around the six major guilds introduced by Rich Tyra, focusing primarily on the United Resource Workers, the Industrial Guild, which encompasses mining, refining, salvaging, and crafting. Loud Guns highlights the current state of these professions as somewhat isolated gameplay loops and expresses hope for increased synergy and interaction between them in future updates.
A key area of development discussed is refining, especially with the introduction of player-operated ship-based refineries like the Misk Expanse and RSI Galaxy. These additions will enable players to process resources in more remote locations, extending mining operations and adding complexity to the industry gameplay loop. The video also touches on the potential expansion of salvaging mechanics to include more resource types and the integration of salvaged materials into repair and fueling gameplay, creating a more interconnected industrial ecosystem.
Loud Guns stresses the importance of crafting as a future focus, moving the industrial gameplay toward producing meaningful goods rather than just accumulating credits. This shift is expected to encourage specialization within resource gathering professions, with larger ships handling bulk resources and smaller ships like the Prospector focusing on high-quality materials. This dual role for ships adds depth and longevity to industrial gameplay, allowing players to evolve their strategies over time.
The video also calls for an expansion of the guild mission system to better introduce players to industrial gameplay, similar to how combat missions function now. Loud Guns suggests that more structured and repeatable industrial missions, along with new guild-specific currencies, could provide clearer entry points and incentives for players interested in non-combat roles. He also advocates for improved in-game player trading systems to reduce reliance on third-party websites and enhance the safety and convenience of peer-to-peer transactions.
Finally, Loud Guns discusses the potential for “resource wars” and contested industrial objectives that blend combat and industry, fostering collaboration and competition between different player types. He underscores the need for content that supports both solo players and larger organizations, highlighting the unique large-scale battles that Star Citizen can offer. By introducing high-value industrial incentives, the game can organically create engaging scenarios that involve miners, salvagers, and combatants alike, enriching the overall player experience.