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Will future vehicles like the Mercury also come with associated gameplay like data running?

TL;DRThey are trying to release ship gameplay alongside ships where possible, but separate team schedules can prevent it, and for the Mercury they say data running is less critical and will be decided closer to the time.

John CreweVehicle Director

It's something that we're definitely trying to move more towards. In the past, it was very much, we've done the ship, so let's just release it. Starting this year, the end of last year, where we can, we try and release some of the gameplay with it. So the Cutlass Red was a good example in that we had a very basic form of medical gameplay in. The Mercury is obviously twofold. It's a cargo runner and a data runner. So it's not as critical to ship with data running because it does have another purpose alongside it. We'll see as we get closer to the time. Because data running is essentially cargo running with a data commodity.

Jared HuckabyHost, Community

I think it's important, and we've touched on this topic before a couple of times in the past. Obviously, when things can align the way we hope they do, yes, we would always like to release a ship with its associated gameplay. But as is often the case, the associated gameplay is done by teams that are outside the ship team, for instance, and different schedules and different workloads and different priorities. Sometimes those two don't always align and the ship is ready to go before the associated gameplay. I think one of the bigger examples is the Reclaimer.

John CreweVehicle Director

Yes. So it's when you have that asset just sat there, ready to go, beyond any gameplay. It's a very hard decision to go, well, shall we just keep this to ourselves for another 3, 6, 9, 12 months? Or do we give it?

Jared HuckabyHost, Community

And I imagine that plays some factor into your scheduling, too. When you're trying to schedule what ship is going to be built next, you have to look at, well, is there a chance that the associated gameplay can come online with it? And if there isn't, maybe we don't prioritize making that ship sometimes.

John CreweVehicle Director

Yeah, and the vehicle content schedule is currently mapped out 12 months from now, and I literally sent an email just before this call about what things we are going to put in the next slots after that.

Star Citizen Live›Invictus Launch Week Vehicle Q&A·
Published on this date.22 May 2020