Prepping for Star Citizen-What I need to know

[WingCmdr_Goose]

In the coming weeks of September I'll finally be getting my pell grant from college to do with as I please. Which means I'm finally building my PC. I getting $2500 and about 2k of that is going towards the PC build, so the rest is going to buy a Star Citizen game package (and of course Battlefield 1) and any extras I may need. Now I need some advice on a package to get. My idea is to get the SC+SQ42 mustang alpha package just because it comes with both and a starter ship. My goal is to jump straight into combat as a fighter and racing on the side. I thought about upgrading to the Hornet base and buy the M50 but the M50 is unavailable. As to why I would like to know. So to the point any suggestions with my limited budget?

 

[TexasSkulls]

Well I'd probably cut back on that computer, buy a basic package because that's all you NEED, then put the rest towards living and education expenses...

 

[Beerjerker]

I'd agree with @TexasSkulls if you budget is very limited. I'm getting great (as good as anyone else is reporting) performance in game on a MSI Dominator laptop that cost me less that $1500.

If you're already committed to buying a fighter, I'm a big fan of the Hornets. Apart from the Super Hornet, all the others are pretty much the same other than their paint job as the mechanics for their specialties aren't implemented yet.
Also consider the Gladius. I've had a loaner for the month and it's a lot of fun to fly. Fewer guns than a Hornet, but bigger missiles. Not as durable, but way way faster. If you like racing, you may love it. It's also a bit cheaper than Hornet.

 

[WingCmdr_Goose]

Living and education expenses are all paid for, the pell grant that I'm getting is free money that I have nothing else to spend it on. I don't need books for school and I don't have to pay rent, So I might as well spend it on a new PC and a game I've been waiting to play since it was announced.

 

[Varku]

This Post from our lovely Cosmic Trader <3 should contain everything ´(or at least most) you need to know, to get started.
https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/comment/6904940/#Comment_6904940

Also make shure to use a referal code, when you create your Account. this will grant you an other 5000UEC and the other person some benefits as well.

Shameless selfpromotion: My Referal Code is STAR-FVV9-3CPK
Feel free, to look/use other referals as well.

 

[WingCmdr_Goose]

It's only a budget based on that amount of about $500. That's plenty for SC. Not really that important I just want to get the best for my money. If I need to chip in more I can.

 

[Frisbeerocker]

Use your Pell grant for school.

If the PC will be used for school-related things too, you don't need to spent $2k on it. Hell, SC doesn't even run well on good rig right now anyway. And since they are building a game to run on future hardware, anything you build now will be rely by the game in 3 years anyway.

You can build a awesome mid range rig for $1k or $1200. I'd suggest that.

And honestly if you really want a package, just get a Mustang and upgrade in-game.

And please, put you education first.

 

[Varku]

Use your Pell grant for school.

If the PC will be used for school-related things too, you don't need to spent $2k on it. Hell, SC doesn't even run well on good rig right now anyway. And since they are building a game to run on future hardware, anything you build now will be rely by the game in 3 years anyway.

You can build a awesome mid range rig for $1k or $1200. I'd suggest that.

And honestly if you really want a package, just get a Mustang and upgrade in-game.

And please, put you education first.

^this /sign

even a PC for 1k is a hell of a machine.
And befor your blow 500 bucks on it, get a basic starter package, and see if you can enjoy this game at all. (watching gameplay isn't playing)
Play around with the controls, maybe you have some old joysticks, or gamepads, or you can borrow them from one of your friends.
2.5k is a lot of money, don't spend it on something, you may regret.

 

[Xist]

All you need for SC is an Aurora. This is TEST, after all! :D

That being said, I do enjoy flying mustangs, and there is a racing variant of a mustang. You don't need 2 ships, just get a good general purpose mustang if you want and then earn the racing components in-game. You can swap out the components to make it a racer or a fighter as needed.

RE your computer, get a really nice one if you want, but realize that SC probably won't be released for another 2 more years and so anything you buy now, even super top of the line, is going to be shit by then.

If you want to "future proof" your PC so it will be ready for SC, I'd recommend:

- Buy a good mid-range ($250ish) LGA 1151-3 motherboard.
- Buy a nice CPU (i7 6700-K)
- Buy a reasonable (but not super amazing) GPU. Like a 1060 or maybe a 1070.

In this way, your CPU will be able to be upgraded in the 3-5 year time frame but that wouldn't really be needed. The mobo will support future CPU upgrades just in case.

And you save your money for the badass GPU when SC is released. For now you get a good GPU but not a great one, and then you can blow $600-$1200 in 2ish years when SC is actually launched.

Here is a decent build, without a case or a hard drive. You could spend $250 on that or you could spend $1500 on that, up to you. But the rest of the parts will be easy to upgrade in the future:

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/VKJBjc

 

[supitza]

even a PC for 1k is a hell of a machine.

In my country, compared to the US (or the rest of civilized countries), prices are higher and wages are lower.
So in Romania, $1000 buys you a less than mediocre PC. I've spent $1700+ on my rig, considering I already owned all the peripherals and the monitor, and I'm still not satisfied with the performance.

EDIT: sorry for the off-topic, I'll go back to my room now and cry in the corner.

 

[Montoya]

All you need for SC is an Aurora. This is TEST, after all!

Yep.

You dont need $500 for ships.

Almost daily I get people messaging me saying how they are so happy to join TEST and then the list off their ships they own.

A couple of things I tell them:

1) Dont overspend, buyers remorse will strike back!

2) The only thing you need to play this game is a beginner ship and a game package which is $60

4) The longer you wait to upgrade or buy a PC, the better! Those 1080's are only getting cheaper with time!

 

[WingCmdr_Goose]

Thanks for your opinions, however, I'm in a good position at school. We don't need books, its an automotive service course so it's all done in class on their online program. Tuition has already been paid for by part of the pell grant, the rest is given to me as left over unused cash. With no car payments, rent, school books, etc. I have chosen to take advantage of the unused cash to build me a gaming PC. My build cost roughly $1100 (parts on sale) - $1400 w/out gpu. With gpu it's about $1700-$1800 (980ti/1080)

I7-6700k
Gigabyte Z170
Gtx 1080 or 980ti (if I can't get hands on 1080)
Rosewill 80+Gold 600w
16gb ram
Samsung 500gb SSD
WD 1TB hdd
Corsair AIO cpu water cooler
Win 8.1
Dvd drive

As for Star Citizen, I think I'll get the Mustang alpha combo and upgrade to hornet and maybe get a P52 for racing.
That's $160, still a good price and leaves me plenty left over to save.

 

[GojiraSamurai]

Yep.

You dont need $500 for ships.

Almost daily I get people messaging me saying how they are so happy to join TEST and then the list off their ships they own.

A couple of things I tell them:

1) Dont overspend, buyers remorse will strike back!

2) The only thing you need to play this game is a beginner ship and a game package which is $60

4) The longer you wait to upgrade or buy a PC, the better! Those 1080's are only getting cheaper with time!

Buyers Remorse? Nature's way of telling you your kids are still too young :D

 

[WingCmdr_Goose]

And yes I've played the game on my brothers PC during the free fly event, it was everything I was hoping for. I will be buying the new T16km hotas and a second T16km joystick. And that's all I'll need.

 

[WingCmdr_Goose]

Roughly 1700-1900$ max for the PC, that's without sales.
$160 for ($60)mustang alpha combo -> ($80) hornet upgrade, and $20 for p52(optional probably won't bother not worried about racing)
$130 for T16k hotas
$45 for T16k joystick

I say I will be set for star citizen and all the other games from now to the future.

 

[Callahad]

It's early to buy a rig for SC, save your money for beer and steaks!

 

[WingCmdr_Goose]

Lol a bottle of scotch used to be on my list but Star Citizen isn't the only game I'm going to be playing. I have a long list and a decent steam collection from my old PC.

 

[Beerjerker]

It's early to buy a rig for SC, save your money for beer and steaks!

Back when I had student loans, this is how I spent quite a lot of it. Only took me 15 years to pay it back but those beers and steaks were terrific.
I will now recuse myself from all further financial advice.

 

[TexasSkulls]

Living and education expenses are all paid for, the pell grant that I'm getting is free money that I have nothing else to spend it on. I don't need books for school and I don't have to pay rent, So I might as well spend it on a new PC and a game I've been waiting to play since it was announced.

I suppose that was the implicit point of my post. Perhaps you don't NEED a Pell grant then if all you have left to spend it on is a much more powerful PC than most will ever own and several hundred Dollars in peripherals and internet spaceships.

From the U.S. DoE:

"How much money can I get?
Amounts can change yearly. For the 2016–17 award year (July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017), the maximum award is $5,815. The amount you get, though, will depend on

• your financial need,
• your cost of attendance,
• your status as a full-time or part-time student, and
• your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time."

Seems your financial burdens and costs of attendance are already taken care of, by your own admission, perhaps excusing you from NEEDING a Federal Pell Grant, which is by no means "free money." Federal student aid cost taxpayers "an estimated $169 billion" in 2011...

I'd give this a good read:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/27/college-financial-aid-misuse/1950401/

 

[TexasSkulls]

And by the way, skyrocketing rates of applications for Pell Grants and other federal student aid is a major contributor to rising tuition costs for ALL students.