Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) has just launched the latest update to their epic space sim game, Star Citizen – Alpha 3.18: Lasting Legacies. The Lasting Legacies update represents a major technical leap forward, as it adds a new feature called Persistent Entity Streaming (PES), which dynamically tracks and records every physical object that players move or place in the game world. This creates an immersive and realistic gameplay experience, as players can now leave their mark and even discover the aftermath of other players’ actions.
The Lasting Legacies update also includes the highly-anticipated salvage profession, where players can retrieve valuable materials from target ships and sell them for profit. The new profession is supported by complete cargo refactors, giving cargo a physical presence in-game, and introduces the Drake Interplanetary Vulture, a new entry-level flyable ship perfect for players starting their career in space salvage.
According to Chris Roberts, the Star Citizen Creative Director, Lasting Legacies is the biggest milestone yet for the game and CIG. “Persistent Entity Streaming is the first public, an impactful step towards a truly persistent universe where players can make their mark,” he said. “It opens countless new gameplay opportunities, including the first iteration of salvage gameplay, which we’re thrilled to finally deliver to players, along with the new physicalized cargo refactor.”
In addition to the new features, the Lasting Legacies update expands on existing content for players. It introduces new and diverse locations for on-foot FPS missions on Daymar, new missions for prisoners at Klescher prison, and enhanced racing gameplay. CIG has taken inspiration from the dedicated racing community and created seven Time Trial Race Missions throughout the Stanton system, complete with functional race markers.
Star Citizen is a massively multiplayer game that combines classic space sim and FPS gameplay with stunning visuals. Players can explore multiple planets and moons, and shift paths from a cargo haulier to outlaw, explorer, or any other role, whenever they want. For more information on Lasting Legacies and how to download and play Star Citizen, visit the official website, and follow the game on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube to stay up to date with the latest updates and development progress.
Star Citizen – Alpha 3.18: Lasting Legacies update key features include:
- Persistent Entity Streaming: One small step for pilots, one giant leap for Star Citizen! PES is a major technical milestone on the path towards a fully persistent universe and the implementation of Server Meshing. With PES, all physical items on each server will now feature proper persistence – dropping a weapon in a friend’s apartment as a gift will result in the weapon physically remaining there on that server when their friend enters their apartment. This new feature from the Lasting Legacies update realises the promise of a universe where players have a lasting impact and brings Star Citizen one step closer to that goal.
- One Pilot’s Junk is Another’s Treasure: The highly-anticipated Salvage feature makes its debut! Using a Vulture, Reclaimer, or salvage tool while on foot, players will be able to scrape the materials from target ship hulls. Similar to mining, players will need to balance their beam energy to maximise the scraping process and avoid damaging or wasting valuable salvage. Initially, players will salvage a more generic material that can be sold for UEC, with updates to improve rewards and support the use of salvage materials in repairing player vessels to be added in a later update.
- Cargo Refactor: The first step towards a comprehensive refactor of how cargo works in Star Citizen add fully-physicalized cargo to the game with the Lasting Legacies update. Leaning into simulation elements, players can pick up, move, or drop physicalized cargo with their locations dynamically tracked on the server. Space piracy has become a much more lucrative venture as pilots can “liberate” cargo vessels of their valuable goods.
- Drake Vulture Spreads its Wings: Living up to its namesake, the Drake Vulture is the entry-level vehicle for the salvage profession. The affordable, self-sufficient craft can be fully operated by a lone pilot as they explore the stars for damaged or abandoned vessels. Pilots can rip wrecks apart like a pro and carve out their own place in the galaxy with the help of Drake Interplanetary’s one-man salvage monster.
- RSI Scorpius Antares Shines Bright: Every pilot needs a wingman, and every fleet needs an Antares. A variant of the popular RSI Scorpius, the Antares trades heavier armaments and the signature rear-facing turret for a suite of hardware designed for electronic warfare. Its Quantum Jammer can keep enemy ships from escaping battle, while its powerful EMP device can disable enemy shields and systems, leaving targets and their cargo vulnerable as they drift through space. Although a capable ship in its own right, the Antares shines as a force multiplier for any fleet.
- Derelict Settlements for 600i/Mercury: A new crashed 600i & Mercury Star Runner settlement has been added to Daymar for players to explore in the Lasting Legacies update. Similar to other derelict settlements, this new location contains on-foot FPS missions challenging players to clear out hostiles, track down assassination targets, or recover lost items.
- Prison Activities: There is no getting out of jail for free in Star Citizen¸ but pilots have options on how to pass their time as they serve their sentence in Klescher prison. New mission types have been added to ingratiate players with the prison warden and potentially reduce their sentences, like collecting and turning over contraband from other prisoners. This includes new mission types for career criminals, who may voluntarily go to prison to eliminate an assassination target.
- Time Trial Race Missions: Taking inspiration from Star Citizen’s dedicated racing community, CIG is providing additional support for speed demons. Seven new races have been added throughout Stanton at Clio (Snake Pit), Daymar, Crusader, Hurston, the Yela Asteroid Belt, Euterpe, and Area18. The brand-new tracks feature newly-functional race markers, landing pads for the participants, observation decks for spectators, and multiple new points of interest for players to view as they try to post the top time.
- Rivers and Sand Caves: Rivers, first added in update 3.17, have been updated in Lasting Legacies with new biome-specific rulesets around bodies of water for a more natural appearance. Additional rivers and lakes containing location-relevant resources have been added on both microTech and Hurston. The update also adds the first iteration of sand caves throughout the Stanton system. Cave networks will contain a new harvestable resource that can be gathered and sold for UEC in this first iteration, with additional content and functionality in the works for later updates.
Star Citizen Alpha 3.18 Lasting Legacies trailer
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