The Middle Sucks

[Overlord]

It certainly has been a rough and tumble ride over the past two years and I just have to say good on all Citizens for being so dedicated, patient and supportive over this seemingly endless process. Sure we could have more sooner but at what cost? A game like Elite Boring? Personally I think Mr. Roberts and everyone under him is doing a splendid job and this year will knock the socks off every single naysayer ever to put mindless thought to cyber paper.

That being said, I have to say it sucks being in the middle; when you try to take a balanced position of being supportive on one hand while being pragmatic on the other. It's kind of like being between the devil and the deep blue sea - or more accurately between a fanboy and a hater. And over the years I've been thoroughly reviled by both. Because I still believe that Chris Roberts was a dumb ass standing on stage inebriated while blurting out 'This is Bullshit'. Sorry but as an investor and defender of Star Citizen that is something I really didn't want to see, nor do I ever care to again. Nor do I want to see people assailed by the usual suspects for offering input - even critical input because nothing good ever comes from sycophancy. And I really hate the now 'Gated Community' that RSI has become due to overzealous moderation. And sometimes I have to scratch my head at ship prices although I can live with it knowing it could actually enhance gameplay. But I have to say that recent Internationalization at the cost of even higher ship prices for Europeans is a major concern, and I simply have to ask is it really worth it?

At any rate, I have other concerns but I still believe Star Citizen will come through on most if not all that has been promised. Ok, maybe not promised but you know what I mean. Sure we had to wait over a year and a half just for Wing Commander but it was absolutely worth the wait! WC is simply the most stunning and immersive gameplay ever to come out on PC. And the ships, well most of them, are brilliant on every level. And of course a word for customer service which is by far the best I have ever experienced in any game - ever! Thank you Sandy and Patrick for putting up with my constant indecision and my seemingly endless proclivity for musical ships. And of course I would be remiss to ignore all the great material and info put out by CIG to keep us space faring citizens happy; it is no small chore and please, please keep it coming!

As for the haters who say it can't be done or that Star Citizen is 'Pay to Win'? I have to agree about Pay to Win. Because I would pay an arm and a leg to hang out on ships with my corp mates and ply the stars! And I would give my two front teeth to be able to board some poor unsuspecting players' ship while wondering the galaxy. And I would give my left eye to shuttle planet to planet and walk about cities that look like they came straight out of Star Wars, Star Trek and Blade Runner. Ok, I'm running out of body parts so I better stop. But the dream that is Star Citizen keeps growing bigger and bigger on the computer screen with each passing day and soon we will have a city and an FPS to add to our list of 'Pay to Win' mods. I'm sorry but as far as I'm concerned everyone at Star Citizen 'wins' just by being here - and that is worth every penny.

 

[Tooterfish]

Europeans, I feel for you. CIG gets the tax break and you pick up the burden, I get it and it sucks. Is the game pay to win? Yea, right now it is. Though unless you have a time machine there is no certain guarantee that by paying money you're going to yield a substantial return on your investment when the game goes live. By that I mean most if not every ship will be affordable to everybody willing to play the game. I've heard 2 weeks of routine game-play to purchase ships in the early 3 digit range. You, OP, appear passionate about the idea of Star Citizen, and you're worried about its future, but all that means is that you care. I'm not usually so optimistic but I really do think you're jumping to conclusions about a game that is a year or even two from release and the man building it. Breath dude, be patient, and let's revisit this when we can confirm your doubts.

 

[Overlord]

I do appreciate your reply but I would rather state my opinions now than after the fact. And I am not beyond pointing out Mr. Roberts failures as well has his accomplishments. I just have to say that looking for more money via tax breaks is a tad excessive don't you think? Some would even say greedy. What? 72 million with much much more on the way isn't enough? Sorry but throwing Europeans under the proverbial bus isn't cool and I'm not going to wait until the game is finished to say so. I am more than patient and the fact that I am still supporting SC demonstrates this. Sorry but what you are advocating isn't patience but complacency. That being said, we are very fortunate to be able to agree to disagree and speak our minds here on TEST without the heavy hand of moderation like on RSI. We may have our differences but kudos to one of the few sites that welcomes open, honest dialogue - whether they are formed under the influence of alcohol or not.

 

[WarrenPeace]

I'll admit, as optimistic as I am about this game, there are moments that are worrisome; this whole debacle over the VAT is one, when there is suddenly a split between segments of the SC population. In addition to possibly driving a new section of the grey/black market, it also provides easy fodder for video game journalists and detractors who want to grab onto any perceived problem to proclaim the inevitable downfall and failure of SC. I know this isn't so, simply due to how transparent and open the devs are being all through the development process. It's harder to be surprised by how something turns out when you've seen how it was introduced and subsequently changed in the game.

That said, this response in the RSI forums makes me hopeful. It indicates the AC bucks are on their way, and the ability to melt items from the Voyager Direct shop is being planned for as well. It might take a while, but these plans make me hopeful that it'll remove the pay-to-win mentality that is infesting AC right now.

 

[Overlord]

I'll admit, as optimistic as I am about this game, there are moments that are worrisome; this whole debacle over the VAT is one, when there is suddenly a split between segments of the SC population. In addition to possibly driving a new section of the grey/black market, it also provides easy fodder for video game journalists and detractors who want to grab onto any perceived problem to proclaim the inevitable downfall and failure of SC. I know this isn't so, simply due to how transparent and open the devs are being all through the development process. It's harder to be surprised by how something turns out when you've seen how it was introduced and subsequently changed in the game.

That said, this response in the RSI forums makes me hopeful. It indicates the AC bucks are on their way, and the ability to melt items from the Voyager Direct shop is being planned for as well. It might take a while, but these plans make me hopeful that it'll remove the pay-to-win mentality that is infesting AC right now.

Couldn't agree more. CIG is kind of under siege right now but I am sure they will come out on top. Perhaps they could mark down future ship prices to compensate for VAT? Not sure if this is realistic because who is to say what price they originally set? But it certainly would even the table or at least present an image that they haven't forgotten who put them where they are - which appears they have. I guess the community they espouse isn't exactly the community everyone had in mind: one where Americans pay far less than everyone else. I too noticed that I am also subject to VAT changes since I live in Japan but as yet haven't purchased anything to confirm whether the tax makes purchasing less appealing; I may even resort to melting ships to get that long awaited Vanguard instead of purchasing it outright, which I intended to do. That would suck not only for me but also for Star Citizen as it means less income. Whether fewer sales is offset with tax breaks for RSI I cannot say but I suspect sales will drop. But I am fortunate that I purchased the ships I wanted before VAT! So all is not loss. But for new players - other than American? Ouch.