The 2020 release is for Squadron 42, not Star Citizen. I am separating these two, because the first is supposed to be a single-player experience, while the latter is for multi-player.
Mmm...yes and no in this case. Obviously, the persistent, MMO aspect was the selling point for the game. Squadron 42 was originally envisioned as a sort of "tutorial". That was the gist I got. It would be like playing the campaigns for a Battlefield or Battlefront game. Gets you acclimated to the gameplay so you hit the MP modes running.
Now, I'd say that since the scope of the game became rather nebulous, focusing on Squadron 42 would narrow the development down to nailing the flight model, which will be the thing that makes or breaks the game in the end, I believe. Having the physics, handling, weapon feedback, and/or damage modeling feel clunky or unbalanced will spell a certain level of doom. I'd definitely be sure I got that working at the SP level before I decided exactly how it needed to work at the MP level.
In my experience time and money are the two things that can never be accurately guessed and you always end up needing more of both. One of the most important trait of good development is keeping the scope of your project. It's what allows you to make sure what can and can't get into the game, given the expected time-frame, features and money that you can spend on development.
It's true that they did get a lot of funding, but they are burning through money very fast too. To my knowledge, they were spending 4 millions per month in 2018, which gives 48 millions in a year. If I am not mistaken they got somewhere around 300 millions total, and that includes selling a 10% share of the company to some billionaire for 46 millions. The last information is particularly worrisome, because it indicates they have started selling themselves (read: shares of their own company) in order to get funds needed to keep the development going.
And this is where all creative direction breaks down if it's going to break down. I imagine Roberts is probably in seventh heaven...a chance to revisit the Wing Commander vision, a dev cycle he has sole control over, more money than pretty much any indie studio has ever seen...
But the creative process doesn't change.
Less is
more. What should have been done, in my estimation, is a production cycle that delivered on the original promise. Establish definitive milestones, leave openings in the code to work toward stretch goals, then
deliver on each milestone. As in
release things at each milestone. Save expansions for expansions.
What it seems happened is that Roberts decided to toss in everything and the kitchen sink, aiming to build a magnum opus from ground-level to Cloud 9 in one go, incorporating every last detail from the very beginning... Well, that sounds familiar. It's exactly how every production I've seen go belly-up began. It's possible...but I also think it's unnecessary. Often, it's detrimental to the overall project, as it results in too many things happening at once. Invariably, the moving crew will put the furniture in place, forcing the painting crew to paint around it, while the electrician is trying to cut holes in the wall to install wiring, and then the doorbell rings as the people to install the new carpeting have just arrived. Silly way to try to build
anything. I'd always opt to do things one stage at a time, ensuring each stage was reasonable.
Agreed. The best they can do is start thinking on how to optimize their development.
I believe the vast majority of people involved in the project would agree with you.
I guess it depends on how much it'd cost to buy them and how much anyone really wants to invest into bringing the project to the finish line.
And since I like to end on a positive note whenever possible -- here we go! I know the development has been both frustrating and disappointing for a lot of backers. I know the game is years and years beyond the original release dates with no end in sight. I know features are buggy, un-optimized, unstable, and relatively incomplete in every way. I know there's a lot upset surrounding both the pricing and way backers have been treated.
But looking at what they have accomplished, it's extremely impressive. The foundations for something great are already there. One thing the team is doing is pursuing their goals with passion. I kind of look at this situation like making a film. The director may be extremely difficult to work with. Some of the actors may have hellish attitudes. The producers might be money-grubbing at every turn. The schedule might be a complete and utter mess...
...but that doesn't mean that the final film won't be
incredible.