We’ve hit another stretch goal! We haven’t had a special ship sale or a big game reveal since CitizenCon, so I can’t credit this most recent accomplishment to a particular trend… but I am very happy to report that there has been a steady flow of new Citizens joining our ranks and helping make the BDSSE possible. If you’re just joining us: welcome! You’re helping us do great things.

The team is hard at work prepping for the PAX Australia demo, and we’re all looking forward to giving an audience of Star Citizen’s backers their first look at something extremely cool this weekend. I think you’re going to be surprised: the FPS module isn’t an aside… it’s a fully featured game in and of itself!

At $59 million, you unlocked the most recent of the backer-voted “wave 4” ship designs, the Anvil Crucible. I’m eager to see this one on the schedule; this repair and construction system isn’t just a new ship, it’s a way to better build out Star Citizen’s world.

• Anvil Aerospace Crucible – A so-called “flying toolbox,” the Crucible is the ship you want on your side when you suffer an asteroid collision or survive a pirate attack! Structurally, the Crucible consists of a cockpit, drive unit and workshop. The Crucible’s workshop is versatile: it can be used as a base for conducting EVA repairs (complete with requisite tool storage) or it can use magnetic grapplers to attach directly to a ship hull. In this situation, the workshop actually opens to space and allows a repair crew direct access to a damaged ship. The workshop can either maintain artificial gravity or allow for zero-g repair operations, depending on the needs of the mission. The Crucible’s cockpit is also outfitted with an array of repair tools, including dual purpose mounts that can exchange weapons for tractor beams and remote manipulator arms. The Crucible is also part of a larger planned repair system. For larger projects, independent sections of support struts and drive units, called the Miller ERS (External Repair Structure), can be locked together to form a sort of scaffolding around a damaged starship, the next best thing to an orbital drydock. A standard ERS unit includes a small drive, thrusters, magnetic attach points and modular hardpoints for mounting tractor beams, repair tools or weapons. ERS segments each have a code defining their shape (P1 = Straight section, P2= Left turn, P3 = Right turn, etc.) with the multiple layouts allowing extensive zero-gravity construction as necessary. In the case of damaged capital ships, like the Navy’s Bengal carriers, hundreds of ERS units might be formed into a latticework serviced by a dozen or more Crucibles.

At $59 million, you voted for the Twin-Engine Deep Space Fighter, the first pure fighting ship we’ve seen added to the lineup in quite a while. The deep space fighter was inspired by the twin-engine aircraft of World War II, like the de Havilland Mosquito and the Messerschmitt 110. While there’s no “night” in space, there are reasons for wanting a ranged fighter… and the ability to fight in all-weather conditions take on an entirely new meaning in an environment with meteor storms and sensor-dampening nebulae! Here’s the new ship:

• Aegis Bulldog-class Twin-Engine Deep Space Fighter – Strike hard from a distance! The Bulldog, a recent design from Aegis, has quickly become Earth’s premier deep space fighter. Deep space fighters are typically used to pursue engagements in outlying areas when support from a carrier is not available. Bulldogs are usually flown by ground- and station-based naval forces, and are widely used by militia squadrons. Specifically designed to operate from planetary bases and engage targets up to a star system’s distance, the fighter trades some maneuverability for an extended supply of fuel and munitions as well as basic survival accommodations for a pilot and radar operator. The Bulldog’s RIO operates a turret, the ship’s missile loadout (optionally) and its highly advanced sensor suite. This distinct scanning array gives the ‘Dog a particular advantage when fighting in and around an obstacle such as an asteroid field or nebula! Finally, the Bulldog is known to be an extraordinarily sturdy spacecraft, with multiple backup systems not commonly found in single-seat ships; stories of Bulldogs limping back to base with a single engine and half their fuselage exposed to vacuum have become common as the battle against the Vanduul has heated up.

Please vote in the poll below for the next ship in the lineup; the runner ups were extremely close this time around, so I’m eager to see where things land. Be sure to tune in for the livestream on Friday to meet the team behind Star Citizen’s FPS mechanics… and to see what they’ve been working on the past few months.

Until then, thank you for your continued support. I can’t repeat this enough times: none of this would be possible without backers like you. Thank you. I’ll see you down under!

— Chris Roberts
 
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