Star Citizen progress continues with Arena Commander 1.0 launch
Many ships can - finally - be flown in-game.
Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games has launched Arena Commander 1.0, the latest version of the space game's dogfighting module.
Arena Commander lets players get used to their ships in Free Flight mode, and battle computer-controller ships and other players.
1.0 marks a significant milestone in the development of the game, and adds a lobby system and triples the number of flyable ships in Arena Commander. Every variant of the Aurora, Mustang, 300 and Hornet, and the base models of the Cutlass and the Avenger are now flyable. Previously, many of Star Citizen's virtual space ships, some of which cost hundred of pounds, could only be viewed in player hangars (for more on ships, check out our investigation into Star Citizen's grey market).
The lobby - Star Citizen's first - arrives alongside an in-game friends system, that should help players connect. The update also adds a ship signature system, a thruster power system and a lateral g-force system. Expect new animations, textures and cameras.
The patch notes are over at the Roberts Space Industries website.
CIG has divided up Star Citizen into six distinct parts. The aforementioned Hangar and Arena Commander modules are available now. Still in production are a first-person shooter module, a story-based Squadron 42 module, a Planetside module and, tying it all together, a Persistent Universe.
At Gamescom in August Roberts told Eurogamer he doesn't expect Star Citizen to be considered finished until 2016.
