MDrake SC
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@ xionicshockwave
Asking or hoping that CR steps back and admits to feature creep, and needs a lot more time… if that happens, it’ll be too late. I don’t know if you are aware of CR’s history, but he has a history of too much scope creep, and he did kill his company Digital Anvil with it. Ran out of money making Freelancer, and Microsoft bought him out under the condition he would only be a creative consultant.
Star Citizen is a Freelancer 2.0 and instead of Microsoft losing a huge amount of money, it will be the customers.
I don’t have much of an interest in convincing you that CIG has money problems or worse. I do enjoy typing stuff though. Free speech typing is a nice feeling. In the end, you are here because of what Derek Smart has said, done, or will do. Only Derek can entertain, or convince you that something is wrong.
I am having a lot of fun learning what CR did on his stream today. I couldn’t believe it, but CR really is “amazing.”
@ xionicshockwave
We’re all having fun in some way.
If you got into SC out of donation or charity, that is your choice and opinion. I bought in, contributed, pledged, preordered for a product, by an advertised timeframe, with additional advertisement for that timeframe… especially since I was there to see the fully funded $23 million mark. I pledged way before the $23, let alone 20 million marks. I have full LTI on everything at their original lower or lowest prices. I’ve been here to watch CIG remind that LTI is ending, ending soon, ends very soon, buy your Freelancer or Constellation and extras for variants to get your LTI… Oh, CIG is bringing back LTI for all new concepts…
It’s called bait and switch sales tactics. Also, donations don’t get charged VAT, only purchases.
As for your refund, well, CIG has outright begun denying refunds. The discussion has moved here. Basically, the General Discussion forum. You missed any chance, and it doesn’t sound like you’re a large backer. You don’t have much to lose.
I really don’t understand how it is “petty” to call out CIG for spending public money. They have not released a product, they have not made any actual profit. If you want to go farther, the FTC already forbids the use of crowdfunded money for stuff not directly related to the project.
CIG will continue making enough money from white knights and whales to keep going till February, and likely till March 2016. They have secretly fired staff to cut costs.
@ Daniel G
I was expecting the Sabre to return. What I did not expect was Reliant variants. I am even surprised that there is no “surprise” variant for LTI.
Regardless, the folks at CIG are desperate. The white knights remain all too happy to give their life savings to the dream.
@ Derek
I remember you mentioning this some time ago. It may have been on the comedy forum. I know you said that you can’t share much, so I won’t ask you.
All I will say is, I hope you and the lawyers found something.
I am not surprised at all. I was thinking that they would do this “perfect refund denial” either before the holiday break or early January. Derek warns people for months. Most ignore him.
Only a small group of backers ever got suspicious with CIG missing every date, constant sales, bringing back LTI, increased prices of ships, lack of big ship releases, quantity limited ships, lack of major game mechanic releases, constant forum censorship, expensive conventions and shows, and wondering why Arena Commander had such shoddy updates. I am one of these backers.
Once CIG and Chris had our money… that was it. They have no incentive to deliver more than the minimum, and here they are stretching that minimum to the most absolute insanity. Chris can and will continue wasting money, since no one can ever hold him accountable until the feds get involved. Restoration Hardware furniture is just the most obvious waste.
Star Citizen has gone from legit project, straight into ponzi scheme, and now is a scam. Folks gave CIG power to do it. Now, we’ll get a crappy game that is only worth $30 million at best. Or $60 for individual purchases.
We have horrible REC grind. $165 super hornet and $150 gladiator ships that are clearly Pay 2 Win compared to $45 starter package ships. Next thing we might see is Squadron 42 broken into more parts than announced (3 currently?)… under the excuse of a bigger, complex, epic story. A trilogy or more to cover it all. Buy more mission packs! Private servers may cost a fee, subscription, license, or maybe require CIG to host them… There is no accountability in anything pitched.
Star Citizen will do a hideous amount of damage to the crowdfunded scene. The cost of cults and dreams, and the amazing stretch of “it’s an alpha.”
It’s always fun following Derek on Twitter. Watching SC is a full time job basically. Chris has broken another original promise. It has been expected that starter ships and packages for $45-60 will be sold though.
Story or rant below. Enjoy or ignore.
As a $2,500 backer whale thing… I was able to enjoy SC and AC. After all, I had many of the able to fly ships, and this was before the REC system ever was put in. Thanks to how broken the servers are, for me, earning REC was extremely not fun. My cash purchases for super hornet, stock hornet, 325A, M50, was what allowed me to have fun in racing, swarm, and free flight. Thanks to the number of ships I have, I could swap out for bulldogs and badger laser repeaters on many of my ships to be decently effective and have some pew pew fun.
Life with spending only $45? You have a crappy Aurora or Mustang. Both starter ships have been broken for a long time. Not fun to fly or maneuverable, unable to get good kills, and poorly equipped. Anyone that had serious fun with the starting ships is delusional and likely never played with the better combinations. The other whales that say ships are specific to certain purchases, have pros and cons, are defending their purchases with special or halfhearted snowflake status.
SC is a game built and tailored to whales. Showed signs of it back in 2014. Only got stronger. There is plenty of REC grind, and your REC rentals last 7 days at best. You have to rely on free fly weekends to build up more REC, and that is if the servers are stable enough to let you finish and get your REC. Plenty of advantages to those who paid at least $165… the amazing super hornet and ball turret, and the stock hornet can never get that ball turret. The gladiator was eventually introduced with totally broken, overpowered missiles, and left in that state for a few months. At least $150 or $165 for the Pay 2 Win ability. You will never be able to compete with someone competent and in good ships, with the weak starter ships. Mobility, shields, armor, firepower through cash, or an awful grind.
I am a hornet F7C+M omni-boater, repeater spitter, and gladiator missile spammer. I hate the mouse flight, but I will use the superior mouse aim to win. I will also steal kills in coop swarm to get more REC. Star Citizen has one of the most predatory finance and gameplay models around. It’s sickening to know I supported this project, before it showed scam traits thanks to Derek.
CIG is giving refunds to folks in the EU. Mainly thanks to the EU consumer protection laws which are stronger than the USA equivalents. I’d rather not talk about my refund situation at this point.
CIG could have chosen to use more cost effective furniture… but they didn’t. Here is a $400-600 lamp that I’ve seen in CIG streams or shows. Cannot find an easy picture with it, but last time I saw it was in Ben’s office. Here is a $1,900 desk, notice the whole wing of an airplane theme…
All of that airplane style furniture… is not cheap. They are nearly all from the overpriced Restoration Hardware catalog. Chris has always cared for style over substance, just look at the HUD for any of the ships. He’ll have expensive stylized furniture for his offices, even when cheaper and just as functional furniture is available. Chris has no respect for backer money. He’ll spend, waste, whatever he feels like to sustain an image of success.
If Chris had released a lot more content by now… like 5 missions of SQ42, or maybe the Caterpillar or Starfarer ships, or maybe refueling, mining, exploration mechanics… then it would be somewhat OK to have all that expensive stuff. Since the project is way behind, there are constant sales, and a recent series of constant patches to get 2.0 out the door… Things are bad at CIG. Desperate even.
The next livestream will have Javelins and Idrises for sale. Gotta get 2.0 out to show that enough of a game exists, and encourage folks to spend cash.
Derek is slowly changing his tune about CIG crashing by January, with the newest number at $11.35 million. I was right that CIG would be able to make enough money per sale, from the whales, to keep going till at least March 2016.
It’s really a matter of when Derek can reveal details about his lawsuit. While I hope it is in December, I suspect end of January as more likely at the earliest.
Don’t forget. Chris and Ortwin threatened the Escapist with a lawsuit. Where is that lawsuit? Why did the Escapist just shrug off CIG’s threat? It’s because CIG is in deep trouble, and the Escapist called Ortwin’s legal bluff.
For fund allocation, I can give you an answer. It is much cheaper and cost effective to run a game studio in Austin, Texas. The studio in Santa Monica, California is near a beach and extremely expensive. I do not know enough about the new Los Angeles studio to have a good say, but it would have been better use of backer money to expand Austin. Generally, crowdfunded projects should be using backer money in a conservative manner, to increase project success and minimize waste.
There is another forum that is having fun tracking down all the expensive furniture their new studio has. The folks there are having a field day with finding $1,000-2,000 furniture used in CIG streams or shows. It’s damning.
For buying JPEGS, it depends on which ones you own. Some of the stuff they sold back in November 2013 is still not available in any shape or form in the hangar. If Chris has shown no intention of delivering the product on time, what indication is there he ever will? Let alone turning old JPEGS sold into actual ships? Folks are spending more money to support the project, but it is an insane mistake since Chris never has to deliver more than the minimum.
Lawsuits are a slow process. Don’t expect to hear anything for a long time. Derek shares what he can, and is working with his attorneys to keep things as public as possible.
Send in your refund request asap. If you are just a tiny purchase, you have a tiny chance of getting a refund. For folks like me who spent $2,500… totally screwed.
