Update:Star Citizen Alpha 3.3.0

Star Citizen Alpha 3.3.0 is an upcoming Star Citizen release planned for October 2018 (Q3). The update is set to include new locations and landing zones, such as the planet Hurston and location Lorville. New gameplay options, including Salvaging, Repair, and Refuel mechanics are planned to be released. Several Core Tech advancements are also planned. These include Network Bind Culling, Object Container Streaming, and Faceware's FoIP (which includes VoIP). The features in this update may be subject to change as stated on the official roadmap.

Characters
Virgil TrueDef-Pro Armor

Implementing Virgil's TrueDef-Pro armor set.

Hurston Clothing Collection

Creating the Hurston costume sets.

RSI Odyssey Flightsuit Rework.

Updating the RSI Odyssey flightsuit to the current artistic fidelity.

Additional Solar System Locations
Hurston

The creation and implementation of the planet Hurston and will also cover points of interests positioned around the planet.

Lorville Landing Zone

Creation of the primary landing zone, Lorville, on Hurston. This task will also cover populating Lorville with NPCs, Missions and Stores.

Hurston Moons

The creation and implementation of Hurston's four moons: Arial, Aberdeen, Magda, and Ita. This also includes constructing outposts and populating the planet surfaces.

Rest Stop (small)

Creating and implementing the rest stop station that players will be able to visit during long flights. This will include installing stores, ATC and character work.

FPS / Space Gameplay
[Missions] Mission Modularity & Racing

This feature includes a number of improvements to the existing mission system. One task will transform the logic setup for missions into modular pieces, allowing designers to quickly string mission types together into a single mission. This also includes the introduction of a new style of race mode called a Scramble, where pilots race to destroy beacons. Finally, this feature includes the introduction of the scanning mechanic to the missions.

Service Beacon Improvements

Expanded Service Beacon features, including new contract types, filters, and interactions.

Service Beacon Escort

By integrating Quantum Linking, the new Escort beacons will improve Combat Assistance by allowing your hired guns to more readily accompany you.

Repair & Refuel
Repair Bot

The assets and mechanics needed to implement the AMX-1 Repair Bot into the game.

Repair Ships

The mechanics necessary for players to use specialized repair ships to perform ship-to-ship repairs on other players or NPCs.

Manual Repair

The mechanics necessary for players to traverse to the exterior of larger ships to perform spot repairs on damaged hulls.

[Service Beacon] Refuel

Building off of the Distress Call functionality, this Service Beacon feature would allow players to pay another player to travel to their location for the purpose of refueling their ship.

[Refuel] Collection

The pieces of the refueling mechanic that allows players to collect and store fuel elements from the environment

Buy / Sell Fuel

The mechanics, locations and interfaces necessary to allow players to buy and sell fuel to other NPCs or players.

Fuel Transfer

The mechanics needed to allow for players to connect with and directly provide fuel to another ship.

Salvaging
[Salvage] Scanning

The ability for players to scan and identify pieces of debris that could potentially be salvaged. This system should be designed to accommodate players who are on foot or in a ship.

[Salvage] Extraction

The mechanics required for players to be able to salvage pieces of debris from a wreck or derelict and place in a hold or carry. This system should be designed to accommodate players who are on foot or in a ship.

[Salvage] Processing

The mechanics required for players to break down salvaged debris into component parts for transport and/or sale.

[Salvage] Selling

The ability for players to sell and trade both refined and raw salvage to other players or to NPCs.

AI
[FPS Combat] Weapon Use

Added functionality to NPC AI Combat behaviors that allow them to use weapons and grenades. Some of this work will allow NPCs to not only throw grenades, but react to them being thrown at them, as well as adding animated weapon recoil.

[Flight] Ship Behaviors

Creation of new behaviors for fighter, bomber and gunship types to allow for a varied gameplay experience when fighting different enemy styles. Furthermore, this will improve general path finding and collision avoidance as well as improved/new skills for an increasing challenging fighting experience.

Core Dev Tech and Systems
Environmental Blending Shader

Development of a multilayered shader for objects that supports dirt, sand, and ice, allowing the object to believably blend in with any environment on the surfaces of planets and moons.

Network Entity Streaming

Restructuring how the network code handles entity spawning and binding to allow for asynchronous streaming.

FoIP Integration

The technology required to integrate face and voice over IP functionality into the game.

Cloud Tech

The aspect of the refueling mechanic that creates patches of space that contain the raw elements needed to create fuel. These would be the areas/locations that players would seek out to harvest fuel.

Network Bind Culling

This work aims to help improve performance in multiplayer by cutting down the number of entities that exist on clients. Entities too far from a player will be removed from the local client, and when the player moves or the server otherwise detects new entities entering the player's range they will be added to the client. Because clients will then only consider updating entities that are near to them the overall CPU load will be reduced and performance should improve.

Object Container Streaming
At its core, Object Container Streaming allows Star Citizen to create our Universe. We will no longer be restrained by the physical memory on your PC and will be able to stream in new environments, locations and ships seamlessly as you approach. This will also be one of the biggest wins for increased performance as your graphics memory will no longer be overloaded. This work requires that a handful of other Object Container Streaming prerequisites be completed.

Code Conversion

Foundational work for object container streaming, converting all legacy Lua code to C++ for improved performance and greater flexibility for multi-threading.

GameObjectExtensions Conversion

Foundational work for object container streaming, converting all remaining GameObjectExtensions so that they no longer use the script table. This will allow for improved performance and greater multi-threading flexibility.

Asynchronous Background Spawning

Foundational work for object container streaming, reworking various game systems to trigger more entity spawns in the background, relieving spawning pressure on the main thread and leading to fewer stalls.

Background Spawning

Foundational work for object container streaming, allowing entities to spawn from background threads so that vehicles or object containers can be spawned with minimal stalling.

Performance Optimizations

General optimization and engine improvements to increase stability and performance for the players. This includes continued transition of gameplay systems to Item 2.0 as well as investigation and resolution of possible memory leaks and performance spikes.

Weapon and Items
Hurston Dynamics Dominance Series

Designing and creating the new Hurston Dynamics Dominance series ship weapons to implement in the game. This not only includes asset creation, but also animations as well as Design input on weapon balancing.

Hurston Dynamics Attrition Series

Designing and creating the new Hurston Dynamics Attrition series ship weapon to implement in the game. This not only includes asset creation, but also animations as well as Design input on weapon balancing.

Kastak Arms Karna

Designing and creating the Kastak Arms' Karna assault rifle for use by characters in-game. The work includes asset creation, passes by numerous departments, and Design input on weapon balance.

Ships

 * TUMBRIL Cyclone-TR
 * TUMBRIL Cyclone-RC
 * TUMBRIL Cyclone-AA
 * TUMBRIL Cyclone-RN
 * RSI Constellation Phoenix - Revision
 * AEGIS Hammerhead
 * CONSOLIDATED OUTLAND Mustang Beta - Rework
 * CONSOLIDATED OUTLAND Mustang Alpha - Rework
 * CONSOLIDATED OUTLAND Mustang Delta - Rework
 * CONSOLIDATED OUTLAND Mustang Gamma - Rework
 * CONSOLIDATED OUTLAND Mustang Omega - Rework