Star Citizen — Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight Update Gives Players Heightened Levels of Flight Control and Lethal Tools for Space Combat
5 min readThe most ambitious video game project to-date just got bigger with today’s release of the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight update, introducing an array of new and improved gameplay mechanics, combat tools, vehicles, planet tech improvements, and more. Developed and published by Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), Star Citizen is an epic experience where players can fly highly detailed space ships, explore life-sized planets, battle other players across planet surfaces and in space, and discover adventure in an ever-expanding and changing galaxy of unmatched scale.
Star Citizen combines classic space sim gameplay with boundary-pushing visuals in a massively multiplayer setting with unprecedented fidelity. Live how you want to live: shift from cargo hauler to outlaw, or explorer or any other role, whenever you want. Play across multiple planets and moons, including vast cities and underground caverns, all created with a unique combination of procedural planet technology and complementary hand-crafted design.
With the launch of the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight update, players can look forward to more expanded experiences and deeper immersion. With new dynamic flight systems in place to enable thruster efficiency curves, aerodynamic ship surfaces, and jerk customized to every ship in the game, pilots should expect each ship in Star Citizen to behave differently and with much more individual character. Pilots will feel the difference and the g-force when flying through the atmosphere of a planet compared to battles in space. In short, flying in Star Citizen has never felt more realistic. These new dynamic flight systems are supplemented by major enhancements to fixed weapons and turret systems to make dogfighting and space combat more thrilling. For full details and patch notes covering the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight update, please head here.
“Today’s launch of the Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight Update marks a significant step towards our final vision for Star Citizen,” said Cloud Imperium Games CEO and Star Citizen creative director Chris Roberts. “The enhancements to flight and combat systems are just the beginning of the continued overhaul we intend to iterate over time with the help of our community and represents our continued commitment to deliver meaningful updates that improve the Star Citizen experience.”
- Dynamic Flight Mechanics: Flight mechanics have taken a significant step forward and now account for thruster efficiency curves, simulated wind effects on aerodynamic surfaces, and jerk (speed of ship acceleration). Piloting a speedy fighter-class ship with streamlined wings in atmosphere will now feel noticeably different to landing a large cargo-class ship. With these Alpha 3.10 enhancements, every single ship in Star Citizen (over 100 and counting) feels unique while flying within a planetary atmosphere.
- Ship Combat Improvements: High-speed space combat sees updates to the use of turrets and fixed weapons, gunnery improvements, and targeting methodology, bringing dogfighting and large-scale ship battles more in line with the visceral combat envisioned for Star Citizen. Targeting systems now reward pilots with faster missile lock-ons and firing solutions when flying at slower speeds. By introducing a strategic offensive advantage at lower speeds and disadvantage at higher speeds, ship-to-ship combat is now more engaging, realistic, and cinematic. Manned turrets also receive a major UI overhaul and a new target lock-on system to improve accuracy and coordination between the gunner and pilot as Star Citizen moves towards the goal of a full multi-crew, group play experience.
- Electron Weaponry: Joining energy and ballistic weaponry is a brand-new and shockingly deadly weapon type. Pilots can look forward to adding the Atzkav Sniper Rifle and Yubarev Energy Pistol to their arsenal, the first two Electron weapons from manufacturer The Lightning Company to join the verse.
- Player Trading App: Building on the Unified Friends List system introduced in the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.9 Locked Up & Loaded update, the Player Trading App allows pilots to transfer in-game funds directly to other players, laying the groundwork for more complex trading and asset management features down the road – and a more robust player-driven economy in the universe of Star Citizen.
- New Vehicle – ROC: The all-new ROC (Remote Ore Collector) Vehicle from manufacturer Greycat Industrial rounds out the mining career loop in Star Citizen, providing miners with an entry-level vehicle designed to prospect for a new size of mineable mineral. Designed to be as hard-working and versatile as the miners who use it, the ROC is small enough to access hard-to-reach ore deposits, but powerful enough to get through the tough jobs.
- Upgraded Ships: Two existing ships also see significant upgrades. The Origin M50 – a ship built around pure speed – features cockpit improvements that offer pilots a more open and unobstructed view with dramatic improvements to interior visuals and ship controls. Meanwhile, pilots looking to invest in a nimble fighter that doesn’t sacrifice firepower for maneuverability, should look no further than the Khartu-al X’ian scout ship, which receives a reinforced hull, upgraded weapons, and enhanced maneuverability.
- Technology Improvements: Alpha 3.10 also sees enhancements to a number of Star Citizen’s core technologies, including ocean improvements, dynamic lighting for day and night, and an initial implementation of body dragging, a foundational step for future gameplay around bounty hunting, medical, and stealth.
- New Babbage Grand Opening: The New Babbage grand opening begins today! First introduced in the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.9: Locked Up & Loaded update, the landing zone and trading hub on microTech is now open for business with new wares for sale, including adorable Pico the Penguin collectible plushies. Don’t want to leave your penguin pal in-game? Players can also grab a real-life Pico the Penguin Plushie from the official Roberts Space Industries merchandise page to celebrate the icy world of microTech and the launch of the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight update.
Today’s launch of the Star Citizen — Alpha 3.10: Flight & Fight update also coincides with the Foundation Festival, a weeks-long civic program celebrating unity and volunteerism in the United Empire of Earth. In the game, veteran players are encouraged to help newcomers via the updated Guide System: Star Citizen’s live, personal “tutorial” system that matches new players with veterans through chat and the grouping system for 1-on-1 instruction on how to play the game. From now until August 19, all players who use the Guide System will earn in-game rewards. Head here to find out more about the Foundation Festival celebration.
For further information, including how to download and play Star Citizen, visit the official website. Enlist today and join this ever-expanding universe by visiting the game’s Welcome Hub and Guide System for tips on how to play. Millions of players from around the world have already joined to help CIG build the most ambitious game ever made. For continued updates, keep up with Star Citizen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Twitter and YouTube.