Comm-Link:Letter from the Chairman - The Hangar Module

Greetings Citizens,

The first release of the Hangar Module is coming! We will be making the very first revision of the Hangar online exclusively for backers the week following its unveiling at Gamescom at our event on the 24th of August. The presentation will stream live on RSI from 2 to 3 PM CST. The module itself will be available for download for all backers starting August 29.

I’d like to take a moment to discuss exactly what you’re getting. First and foremost, the Hangar Module you will load next week is by no means a finished product. It is the earliest build of anything I have ever shared with the public. In fact, it’s at an even earlier stage than I would feel comfortable giving to any publisher I’ve worked with in the past and long before I would be sharing builds with QA in a traditional game development schedule! But Star Citizen is all about trying new approaches in game development.

The Hangar Module was not something we promised during the initial crowdfunding campaign. We had originally promised to share how the game was made with regular updates on our website and give early backers access the full game’s Alpha and Beta builds. But once we started development we came upon the idea of taking the constant public iteration that you get with a “live” online game and applying it during the game’s development to allow us to engage and involve the Star Citizen community of backers in the process of the making of the game. The Hangar Module seemed like a natural choice for our first public facing deliverable. While it may not be as glamorous as the Dogfighting Module which we aim to deliver by the end of this year, it requires a whole bunch of content and functionality that the final game will use, from the ships and their data structures, to communicating with your account to installing and patching the client. The Hangar Module will be the base foundation that everything is added as we release additional modules, eventually cumulating in the full persistent world alpha / beta.

Revision 1 of the Hangar will be very simple. You will be able to walk around, enter the initial pledge ships and explore a ground level in CryEngine that shows the kind of detail we are putting into the full game. It is intended as a very basic example of our direction that we are putting out to reward our backers, something to give you a chance to view “your” ship for the first time. Be warned, we have only just begun the QA process. This is the first stable build, not a slick “open beta” or anything designed as a promotional tool. We’re letting you in on the ground floor because we want to open up the process. Expect to encounter crashes, rendering bugs and other issues. Your feedback will help improve Star Citizen.

We need your help to test the hangar, just like you will be testing the game itself. After release, we will open a special forum for reporting and tracking hangar bugs. Your reports will go directly to the team, who will act on the bugs. Please don’t report them to the support e-mail, as our CS staff won’t be able to walk through hangar issues just yet!

In the coming months, we plan to release additional “major” Revisions of the Hangar, where we add more functionality and content. Things like detailed customization of your personal hangar, persistence of the state of all your items (what is equipped and where), in client item purchasing and the ability to invite your friends to your hangar will be part of later revisions of the Hangar Module.

Just because we’ve launched a module to the community doesn’t mean that it’s completely done. It just means its ready for the community’s feedback and stress testing! Our plan is to update each module (Hangar, Dogfighting, Planet, Ship-boarding) multiple times as new features and content are completed before the full integration into the persistent universe.

Over the coming months additional ships and upgrades will become available (as they are completed) and we will continue to enhance the level of interactivity. The goal is for the Hangar to go from a very simple pre-alpha build to a full featured module before your eyes! It’s something no one has done with an AAA game before. It’s a little daunting, but it’s also another new way to share the development process with our backers.

What is the Hangar Module?
The Hangar Module is a standalone release that will reveal where players will store their ships and collected items. Keep in mind that this is a very early pre-alpha release. Much of what you see and experience will change as the game continues to be developed.

What are the minimum system requirements for the Hangar Module?
Windows 7 or 8 64-bit Dual Core CPU Intel: Core2 Duo 2.4Ghz AMD: Phenom X2 8GB of RAM NVidia Geforce 460GTX AMD Radeon HD5850 DirectX 11Keep in mind that these are estimated system requirements and may change for the final release of the game.

What do I need to access the Hangar Module?
To access the Hangar Module one will need an RSI account and a pledge package which includes a ship, some credits and access to the full game.

If I only have an add-on ship would I be able to access the Hangar?
Access to the Hangar requires a package that includes game access. If you only have an add-on ship and not a package with game access, you would not be eligible to access the Hangar.

Does my package need to indicate alpha access to be eligible for access to the Hangar?
Alpha access is not required for access to the Hangar however alpha access will be required for access to early versions of the dog fighting module which is scheduled as a later release.

What is the minimum package requirement to be able to access the Hangar?
The minimum package requirement would be the Digital Scout package. The Digital Scout can be purchased in the store for $30. Note that alpha access to the dog fighting module is not included in that particular package.

How will I obtain access to the Hangar Module?
The Hangar will be loaded through the launcher. The launcher will be available for download through the website for eligible accounts.

What ships will be available for the first release of the Hangar Module?
The Hangar Module will be released in stages. The ships available for the first release will be the Aurora, 300i, Hornet, Freelancer, and Constellation. We hope to have the associated ships’ variants available in time for the first release.

What types of hangars are there?
To begin with there will be three types of hangars. Discount, Business and Deluxe. The size of your hangar will be determined by the largest ship in your collection.

Will I be able to upgrade my hangar to a higher tier?
Yes the option to upgrade your hangar will be available.

Will I be able to invite friends into my hangar?
The ability to invite friends to your hangar will not be available for the first release.

Is there a limit to items stored in your hangar?
There may be a limit to items stored in your hangar. If so there will eventually be a way to obtain additional space.

If we lose or gift our ships, will our hangar then be reduced in tier level?
Prior to the official game release, if you lose or gift a ship your hangar may reduce in size. Purchasing an upgrade will lock your hangar to at least the size of the purchased upgrade.

Where will my hangar be located in the ‘verse?
Your hangar will be physically located at your particular starting location which you will be able to select at a later date.