Star Citizen's Economy Will Respond to Players' Actions

StewShearerOld

Geekdad News Writer
Jan 5, 2013
5,449
0
0
Star Citizen's Economy Will Respond to Players' Actions


Star Citizen will feature a dynamic economy with production chains that can be affected by resource shortages.

While many have been fixated on the "spaceships go boom" aspects of Star Citizen, there have been some who have who have expressed their interest in how the game will work on an economic level. Hoping to satisfy those curiosities, a post on Star Citizen-creator Chris Roberts' website has taken the time to go into detail about the game's economy and how it will affect and be affected by players.

"The economy in Star Citizen is built to represent millions of entities (whether players or NPCs) that work together to move resources and finished goods from one end of the galaxy to the other," said the post. "Miners and other resource gatherers work to extract basic resources from the available supply, traders collect those goods and deliver them to other places, escorts protect those convoys from harm (while pirates attempt the opposite)." Players' actions, in turn, are deeply intertwined with the game's economy. For instance, if you play a pirate that focuses heavily on a particular trade route, it can lead to a shortage of resources that harms one of the in-game production chains. "If nearby missile factories suddenly have a shortage of necessary components, escorts who come in from an extended firefight to restock may find missile prices very high - or stocks depleted entirely." Shortages, in turn, will be used to generate new missions as players are called on to transport resources and defend merchants trying to restock effected areas.

If you're keen on influencing the economy in deeper ways, Roberts and friends are aiming to provide options for that, as well. "The most aggressive entrepreneurs may take over whole sections of a supply chain and begin producing their own goods for sale on the open market - if they can keep the resources flowing. But be warned - some large corporations don't appreciate competition!" All in all, Star Citizen sounds as though it's shaping into a game just as well suited to virtual moguls as it is to would-be space pilots.

Source: <a href=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/13128-The-Star-Citizen-Economy>Roberts Space Industries



Permalink
 

MiskWisk

New member
Mar 17, 2012
857
0
0
Isn't that something a good MMO should do though?
I suppose they're trying to mix it up a little what with missions that will affect (or is it effect?) areas but even in basic set ups, a player run economy will simulate this as well.
 

Doom972

New member
Dec 25, 2008
2,312
0
0
Reminds me of when Counter-Strike used such a system to change weapon prices based on demand. It didn't go very well.

Maybe these guys will be able to make it properly.
 

TiberiusEsuriens

New member
Jun 24, 2010
834
0
0
MiskWisk said:
Isn't that something a good MMO should do though?
I suppose they're trying to mix it up a little what with missions that will affect (or is it effect?) areas but even in basic set ups, a player run economy will simulate this as well.
I've only begun to closely follow Star Citizen recently and this was something that I haven't been able to figure out. Is SC an MMO? If so it'd be very similar to EVE, in which case I'm no longer interested. If it is single player, then the devs are going a really clever route by using optional 'semi-online' tasking to generate dynamic content. I'm comparing this econ input to that of Dark Souls' player notes, where other players 'can impact' your game, but not in a way that can actually ruin it for the player.
 

infinity_turtles

New member
Apr 17, 2010
800
0
0
Man, I have high hopes for this game. Been wanting another Privateer/Freelancer sort of game, and this sounds better and better.

*edit* The Eve Online comparisons make me sad. Like really sad. This isn't an MMO. It's from the guy who made Wing Commander, Privateer, and Freelancer. This is a Space Sim.
 

Corralis

New member
Nov 12, 2009
82
0
0
TiberiusEsuriens said:
MiskWisk said:
Isn't that something a good MMO should do though?
I suppose they're trying to mix it up a little what with missions that will affect (or is it effect?) areas but even in basic set ups, a player run economy will simulate this as well.
I've only begun to closely follow Star Citizen recently and this was something that I haven't been able to figure out. Is SC an MMO? If so it'd be very similar to EVE, in which case I'm no longer interested. If it is single player, then the devs are going a really clever route by using optional 'semi-online' tasking to generate dynamic content. I'm comparing this econ input to that of Dark Souls' player notes, where other players 'can impact' your game, but not in a way that can actually ruin it for the player.
OK Star Citizen is actually 2 games rolled into one, you start off as a trainee pilot and sign up to join the UEE Navy (which branches off into the Squadron 42 Single-Player game) or decide to go off into the universe alone and make your fortune (this is the Star Citizen Persistent Universe). As a side note once you complete the Squadron 42 game you go into the persistent universe anyway so it's worth doing.

This game will be nothing at all similar to EVE (with the single exception being that it is in space). Star Citizen is a space flight simulator so you will be the pilot of a ship and directly control how that ship behaves. In EVE your more or less the commander of a ship and you give orders that the ships crew which they then follow bases on some trained skills of yours (weird system).

Hope that clears things up a bit.
 

synobal

New member
Jun 8, 2011
2,189
0
0
It's cute all the lip service they are giving to it, but the truth of the matter is while Star Citizen will have a more robust economy than say WoW, it won't begin to approach Eve. In Eve the economy doesn't just respond to players it is players.
 

TiberiusEsuriens

New member
Jun 24, 2010
834
0
0
Corralis said:
TiberiusEsuriens said:
MiskWisk said:
Isn't that something a good MMO should do though?
I suppose they're trying to mix it up a little what with missions that will affect (or is it effect?) areas but even in basic set ups, a player run economy will simulate this as well.
I've only begun to closely follow Star Citizen recently and this was something that I haven't been able to figure out. Is SC an MMO? If so it'd be very similar to EVE, in which case I'm no longer interested. If it is single player, then the devs are going a really clever route by using optional 'semi-online' tasking to generate dynamic content. I'm comparing this econ input to that of Dark Souls' player notes, where other players 'can impact' your game, but not in a way that can actually ruin it for the player.
OK Star Citizen is actually 2 games rolled into one, you start off as a trainee pilot and sign up to join the UEE Navy (which branches off into the Squadron 42 Single-Player game) or decide to go off into the universe alone and make your fortune (this is the Star Citizen Persistent Universe). As a side note once you complete the Squadron 42 game you go into the persistent universe anyway so it's worth doing.

This game will be nothing at all similar to EVE (with the single exception being that it is in space). Star Citizen is a space flight simulator so you will be the pilot of a ship and directly control how that ship behaves. In EVE your more or less the commander of a ship and you give orders that the ships crew which they then follow bases on some trained skills of yours (weird system).

Hope that clears things up a bit.
Quite a bit, thanks! I knew about the simulation bit, but I had seen several posts that made me fear catching the 'spreadsheet madness.'

Last pure curiosity question:
Is the Persistent Universe part of the game also SP, or does it dabble in MP? The econ vids talk about how our pirate killing can impact the galactic econ, but do we know if we will ever run into another player during that fight (also thinking about co-op)?

I keep trying to find this info on the official site, but to no avail. While it is incredibly 'authentic' to the universe, it doesn't make a lick of sense to someone just trying to find information.
 

Smooth Operator

New member
Oct 5, 2010
8,162
0
0
Oh god why would you do that, you know very well Goons will show up and harass the living hell out of your entire community until it's nothing but rancid EVE gunk left.
 

Corralis

New member
Nov 12, 2009
82
0
0
TiberiusEsuriens said:
Corralis said:
TiberiusEsuriens said:
MiskWisk said:
Isn't that something a good MMO should do though?
I suppose they're trying to mix it up a little what with missions that will affect (or is it effect?) areas but even in basic set ups, a player run economy will simulate this as well.
I've only begun to closely follow Star Citizen recently and this was something that I haven't been able to figure out. Is SC an MMO? If so it'd be very similar to EVE, in which case I'm no longer interested. If it is single player, then the devs are going a really clever route by using optional 'semi-online' tasking to generate dynamic content. I'm comparing this econ input to that of Dark Souls' player notes, where other players 'can impact' your game, but not in a way that can actually ruin it for the player.
OK Star Citizen is actually 2 games rolled into one, you start off as a trainee pilot and sign up to join the UEE Navy (which branches off into the Squadron 42 Single-Player game) or decide to go off into the universe alone and make your fortune (this is the Star Citizen Persistent Universe). As a side note once you complete the Squadron 42 game you go into the persistent universe anyway so it's worth doing.

This game will be nothing at all similar to EVE (with the single exception being that it is in space). Star Citizen is a space flight simulator so you will be the pilot of a ship and directly control how that ship behaves. In EVE your more or less the commander of a ship and you give orders that the ships crew which they then follow bases on some trained skills of yours (weird system).

Hope that clears things up a bit.
Quite a bit, thanks! I knew about the simulation bit, but I had seen several posts that made me fear catching the 'spreadsheet madness.'

Last pure curiosity question:
Is the Persistent Universe part of the game also SP, or does it dabble in MP? The econ vids talk about how our pirate killing can impact the galactic econ, but do we know if we will ever run into another player during that fight (also thinking about co-op)?

I keep trying to find this info on the official site, but to no avail. While it is incredibly 'authentic' to the universe, it doesn't make a lick of sense to someone just trying to find information.
Well this part hasn't been talked about enough but from the little bits I have managed to piece together, it seems as though there is going to be 1 huge universe that runs on the Star Citizen servers. In this universe you all play together but you will not see everyone at the same time. Think of 'Mega-Server' style games where you are essentially instanced away from most of the players in the universe but will always occupy the same space as you friends/guildmates. However there is also the option to create and run your own server that will allow player created ships and other content and on that server you get to choose who will join you and the rest of the universe will be occupied by NPC's.
 

Aeshi

New member
Dec 22, 2009
2,640
0
0
Hearing all this is making me start to wonder if I should get EVE or wait for Star Citizen to come out.
 

Zachery Gaskins

New member
Mar 29, 2011
93
0
0
Mr.K. said:
Oh god why would you do that, you know very well Goons will show up and harass the living hell out of your entire community until it's nothing but rancid EVE gunk left.
And since Chris has already got your money, he would have no problem sending in several Bengals-worth of UEE fighters to handle the situation.

That's what's great about this model - since he technically isn't beholden to everyone's continued subscription fees, he can make decisive actions in the universe that might piss off the griefing few for the betterment of the rest.
 

RoonMian

New member
Mar 5, 2011
524
0
0
TiberiusEsuriens said:
Quite a bit, thanks! I knew about the simulation bit, but I had seen several posts that made me fear catching the 'spreadsheet madness.'

Last pure curiosity question:
Is the Persistent Universe part of the game also SP, or does it dabble in MP? The econ vids talk about how our pirate killing can impact the galactic econ, but do we know if we will ever run into another player during that fight (also thinking about co-op)?

I keep trying to find this info on the official site, but to no avail. While it is incredibly 'authentic' to the universe, it doesn't make a lick of sense to someone just trying to find information.
The persistent universe is multiplayer. You can run your own private server though with your own rules and invite your friends to it. There will be some optional multiplayer in SQ42 though with co-op being possible or even letting players play as your enemies in the campaign.
 

Karadalis

New member
Apr 26, 2011
1,065
0
0
While the system seems to be awesome...

What will keep people like.. oh i dont know.. the goons from totaly ruining the experience for everyone else? Giving players to much influence on the overall game is not allways an asset. Perhaps NPC military should get involved once a traderoute becomes to much controlled by pirates?

We all know that swarming is the tactic they use the most and winning by numbers is their forte.

I would hate it if the game basicly came down to who has the largest number of pilots to crash the server if shit gets serious.
 

Tyran107

New member
Nov 14, 2008
54
0
0
infinity_turtles said:
*edit* The Eve Online comparisons make me sad. Like really sad. This isn't an MMO. It's from the guy who made Wing Commander, Privateer, and Freelancer. This is a Space Sim.
I feel you man, it pisses me off how just because it's in space people go "LOL ITS LIKE SHITTY EVE LOLOLLOLOLO" without understanding that's it a totally different game style.