The following summary provides an overview of recent updates from Star Citizen’s developer notes, arranged by date. Highlights include PU Notes, Events, progress on the Replication Layer and more.

New PU Monthly Report Nov/Dec

A long Monthly PU Report for Nov. / Dec. ‘23 was published. A very compressed version:

• AI improvements: Enhanced social behaviors, fixed bugs, and introduced SQ42 features.
• Civilian NPC updates: Revived behaviors and updated usable items like chairs.
• AI Tech: Worked on creatures, server synchronization, and navigation mesh solutions.
• Animation: Developed animations for creatures and improved facial expressions.
• Character Art: Completed outfits and helmets, researched creature designs.
• Ship Art: RSI Polaris entered greybox phase, Aegis Sabre Raven updated, new ship variants in progress.
• Community engagement: Hosted events, planned for CitizenCon 2954, ran contests.
• Economy balancing: Adjusted prices for armors, vehicles, and FPS weapons, investigated exploits.
• Arena Commander: Polished game modes, planned for future PU support, tested streaming.
• Mission Features: Implemented mission deadlines, refined steal/recover missions, prototyped foot race.
• Graphics/VFX/Planet Tech: Enhanced gas clouds, prepared Vulkan release, improved water effects.
• Narrative development: Worked on career dioramas for IAE and content for Alpha 3.22.
• R&D: Advanced rendering for atmospheres and clouds, improved crash analysis tools.
• Tech Art/Animation: Developed outfit manager, physics proxy tools, and animation events editor.
• VFX: Created effects for structural salvage and supported new vehicle and environment effects.

Source

This week in Star Citizen

8 Jan. 2024

• Alpha 3.23 release being worked on; more details to come.
• Daymar Rally on January 20; a 510 km ground race streamed on Twitch. (more info: www.daymarrally.com)
• The Crux Cup ship races happening throughout March; sign‐ups on the RSI website.
• Community MVP: CaptainKalani’s video on the Jumptown event.
• Source

Replication Layer Update

8 Jan. 2024

• Replication Layer showed significant feedback and data received.
• Developers will share more information soon on the next playtests.
• The team tracks community threads for feedback and addresses queries as they can.
• Some threads are commented on by the developers, others are noted without public response.
• Source

Buyback Tokens Distributed

8 Jan. 2024

• Buyback tokens issued on January 8, this week available in players’ hangars.
• Source

Helpful Spectrum Postings

9 Jan. 2024

In an Spectrum Post Nicou reminded that even they are not always commenting, they read through the suggestions and discussions. To ensure visibility and helpfulness to the dev team: Provide a Clear Title, Articulate the issue clearly, Offer constructive suggestions, Ensure it is neither too short nor too long, and Format the text appropriately.

• Source

Syulen Loadout

9 Jan. 2024

• CIG Nicou shared his relatively cheap military equivalent personal loadout for the Syulen, if you are interested have a look.
• source

Subscriber Promotions

10. Jan. 2024

• Subscribers received a Kastak Arms Devastator ‘Whirlwind’ shotgun.
• Imperator subscribers additionally received exclusive ‘Whirlwind’ paints for the Greycat STV, Aopoa Nox, and Tumbril Cyclone series vehicles.
• Source.

Whitley’s Guide – Reliant

10. Jan. 2024

• An article about the Reliant, originally featured in Jump Point 7.3, has been published.
• Source.

Arena Commander: Return of Kill Collector Mode

10. January 2024

• Confirmation that Kill Collector mode will return to Arena Commander.
• Players are asked to hang tight for the upcoming feature.

Source

999^th Test Squadron Spectrum Badge Requirements

10 January 2024

• The 999^th Test Squadron Spectrum badge is attainable by participating in various modes: Tank Royale, Team Tank Battle, Single Weapon Elimination, Master Modes (Squadron Battle, Classic Race, Endless Vanduul Swarm), FPS and Vehicles Kill Collector, Duo Showdown, Team Elimination
• Importance of staying in the game until the post‐game scoreboard is displayed for the play to count towards the badge criteria.

Source

Balancing Hipfire and ADS Mechanisms

10. January 2024

• Real‐life parallel seen with the existence of projected gun vision technology.
• In‐game hipfire involve a spread, while aiming down sights (ADS) does not, influencing players’ tactical decisions.
• Effectiveness of hipfiring will depend on combat range and weapon spread.
• Laser Pointer Crosshair availability will differ based on visor type rather than being an all‐encompassing feature.
• Currently, no public information on whether visors are locked to specific helmets.

Source