The german PC Games Magazine "GameStar" has printed an interview which they've had with Chris Roberts during the GamesCom:
I will try to translate the basic content.
Sidenote: grey text reflects free interpretations of Sam and does not necessarily meet the content of the interview.
Question 1: Chris, you're almost working since 4 years on SC, and there isn't a beta even in sight. Wouldn't it be a more practicable way to release a basic version and then extend it step by step such as David Braben did it with Elite: Dangerous?
Chris Roberts:
No way, thats no fucking option, get away with this bullshit, you moron! (Note by Sam: well, thats what Chris thought, I assume - but he expressed it in a more polite way :D). Star Citizen is planned to be a huge, very detailed universe. If we would build it like you said, it would become way more complicated. We would be forced to consider every detail which had to be customized with every extension. Yes, its a sad story that I am not able to build this game of dreams within two years. But in the end, Star Citizen shall be playable for 10 years+. Thus imho the delay is bearable as long as Star Citizen will be the perfect game at its date of release. Lets be honest: gamers hate it even more if a game is released which is incomplete and full of bugs
*WINKWINK~BROADHINT*
Question2: Its way too early to ask for a release date of the beta?
Chris Roberts:
(ftw! Get away you idiots! WAY TOOOOOO EARLY!! Read my lips: BETA IS COMING SOON(TM)!! We first have to
- expand Stanton
- integrate corners and areas of second importance
- basic game mechanics like economy and professions
- further solar systems
Then some day
(far away) in the future we will reach a point where we will say to ourselves: thats it. Thats Beta. Its no longer necessary to erase the "universe database" with every new patch. At that point, the Star Citizens will keep their game stats, and after that there will follow the version 1.0. This version 1.0 will NOT contain every stretchgoal for there are far too many to implement them all. But we will do this during the further, ongoing development process (after release of 1.0).
Question 3: Are you still satisfied with the chosen CryEngine3?
Chris Roberts:
YES! Cryengine best engine! To be honest, graphics are good, engine is not. We just customizing the Cryengine for making it able to support multicore (6, 8) CPUs. Its very helpful that lots of ex-Crytek-employees have joined CIG.
Question 4: Squadron42?
Chris Roberts:
Look into me eyes...
Question 5:...kidding.
Question 4: Squadron42?
Chris Roberts: the major game elements such as content, missions, graphics, motion-cap, char modells, soundeffects etc. are put together at the moment. Aside from this, we currently are working at the KI and doing bug hunt. Can't say how long this takes. Some things have been implemented into SQ42 we originally hadn't planned, such as infiltration of bases and planetary landings. And the final battle has been expanded. That'll become EPIC, muar~hahaha! (note: in fact he laughed on that).
[Sam remembers the annoying final battle against Prince Thrakkath at the end of Wing Commander 2, which took several restarts and at the end lots of luck to win this fight]
But it has to be perfect. Nothing new elements will be added, I can say this. We try to release SQ42 by end of this year, beginning 2017.
Question 5: There are some
(minor, nearly hidden) "critics" about the management and publication policy of your collected 120 million Dollars. Other companies are naming their numbers, revenues and expenditures on a most detailed level. How about you?
Chris Roberts:
(talking into his mobile loudly: "No, I ordered a helipad on my yacht, not a heelpad for my Maybach! Jeez, only once I want to work with pros..."). That would be a nightmare! There are already enough want-to-be-projectmanagers, sitting in pubs and complaining about what they would do better. We simply can't ask 1.4 million people what
they would spend the money for. I only can honestly say, that we are investing all the money into the game. And we are already doing our very best to keep everyone informed about the current status of development.
