Welcome to Loremakers: Community Questions, a series focused on answering your lore quandaries and conundrums. We’ve done a deep dive through the lore Ask A Dev section and selected ten questions to answer about the Star Citizen universe. All questions were edited for context and clarity but you can click on the topic to go directly to the original post and join the conversation. Also, the Narrative team plans to do one installment of Loremakers: Community Questions every quarter with the next entry scheduled for Tuesday, March 19th, so please join the discussion and drop any other questions you might have about the universe in our Ask A Dev forum.
Are There Populated UEE Systems That Players Don't Know About?
Question: Are there Human populated systems that aren't on the Starmap because they don't have any significant lore?
Answer: The Starmap represents all of the systems known to the Humans/UEE, so any additional systems discovered would be new for Humanity too. There are two exceptions though. Oretani system was an early UEE system that got cut off when the single jump point connecting it to Ferron system collapsed suddenly in 2485. This trapped all the early terraformers and settlers in the system so it's possible that, if they’re still around, their society might have evolved in ways unknown (or even different) to the rest of Humanity. The other would be if the crew of the Artemis were able to land somewhere that had not yet been found by the rest of Humanity.
Nyx Rest Stops?
Question: There was a lot of talk at CitizenCon about the living conditions on the frontier, and those who played Pyro have commented on how the stations feel much more run-down than those in Stanton. If I recall correctly, while Nyx is also an unclaimed system, it still sees much more traffic than Pyro because of its location and jump point connections. I assume that Nyx has space stations to accommodate haulers and travelers, and was wondering how they might be different from what's in Pyro? Are Nyx’s rest stops still owned & operated by R&R despite the system not being official UEE territory? Is the plan to make them feel generally more well kept than the Pyro stations but still dirtier than Stanton’s?
Answer: Your assessment of the situation in Nyx is pretty spot on. The system went unclaimed by the UEE upon its discovery in 2582 after only the first planet was amenable to Human habitation. Of course, that didn't stop Humanity from exploiting it for resources. As you noted, it avoided the same fate as Pyro because its four large jump points and two medium jump points made it an important transit system. Even the Bremen Beltway, an underground network that smuggled UEE dissidents into Xi'an space during the Messer era, passed through the system. In comparison, Pyro only has one large and two medium jump points. This constant traffic definitely kept Nyx from spiraling into the lawless depths of Pyro and would've encouraged more businesses to take a chance to establish themselves in the system.
Exactly how this manifests in-game is yet to be seen, but your general take feels right. Space stations will look and feel more like Pyro than Stanton. Players who were around when Levski (Delamar) was temporarily placed in Stanton know that it has strong Pyro vibes. Still it won't be as rough as Pyro as it’s managed by the People’s Alliance, a group that fled the Messer regime and attempted to set up a new independent Human government. There's a chance Rest & Relax will have stations in some strategic locations or stations could be independently run, Mom & Pop operations that fall between legit R&Rs and decrepit gang controlled ones.
Who Are the Most Famous Racers in Lore?
Question: I was recently talking with some friends about this. Is there any lore regarding famous in-universe racers? Also curious if there are any non-human racers that have lore attributed to them.
Answer: We've established a number of famous racers within the lore. Below are a few we've mentioned along with their accomplishments.
Gotlieb Yorm won the 2817 Murray Cup Blitz but is now best remembered as the namesake of the racing focused component brand Yorm. An eccentric figure who first made a name for himself in Baker's underground racing circuit, Yorm became famous in 2814 after racing completely nude, claiming that clothes were an unnecessary weight. Forcing Murray Cup officials to establish a rule that all pilots must wear flight suits for safety reasons.
Arena Commander aficionados should recognize the name Ian Rikkord, who won the inaugural Murray Cup in 2479. Rikkord Memorial Raceway is named in his honor. In 2492, Terra McConoway was the first female pilot to win the Murray Cup. She then became the first repeat winner with her victory in 2495. McConoway would retire with seven wins to her name, making her the most decorated Murray Cup champion to this day. Dax “The Hax” Emmelmann became famous for both his 2731 win and for setting a new speed record in the process thanks to his Aurora’s heavily modified thrusters. Fabis Capaldi famously won the race in 2798 despite suffering from Rauk’s syndrome. More recently, Hypatia Darring gained notoriety for her exciting come from behind victory in 2934, and became even more famous when a fictionalized account of her win became a bestselling book called The Cup. Finally, Zack Hugh became known to even non-race fans when following his Murray Cup win in 2942 an amateur racer crashed into and killed Hugh's during his victory lap. The tragedy sparked a rules change to how pilot's qualified for the race.
Some famous alien racers include Banu Issigon Ado, the first non-human to not only compete but win the Murray Cup in 2553. Ado's success popularized the race amongst non-humans. They won a second Murray Cup in 2558 and were leading the 2559 race when their starboard engine exploded during the final lap. An official investigation deemed it an accident but many race fans still question the claim. In 2940, a young Xi'an nyahuoaōng (one who renounces all familial and financial support for a chance to live the life they want) named Shrin Vaatu won the Murray Cup and courted controversy by dedicating his victory to the UEE.
While most of the current racing lore is built around the Murray Cup, there's some exciting areas to expand it. The addition of Wildstar Racing to the game is one such opportunity. We used their introduction to the game to specify that in the early 2800s Zem Kolto gained fame as the first racer from the Wildstar circuit to make it to the Murray Cup. Plus, we've established the Xi'an's love for the Koa e Ko’ia, "holy, distance race". Though we have yet to specify any prominent pilots, the endurance race is growing in popularity within the UEE.
Externer Inhalt robertsspaceindustries.comInhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne Ihre Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.Quantum Travel & Quantum Drives?
Question: The first Quantum Drive created reached 1/10th the speed of light and the technology was improved to allow smaller ships to travel further and faster. Later the drives were built bigger and were able to get larger ships to travel at Quantum. When the Jump Points were discovered, was more advanced space propulsion stopped? If it wasn't for the Jump Points would Humans and other Alien races be still in their home systems until some new form of faster-than-light travel could be invented?
Answer: This is one of those questions that has an answer based on the fact that we're building a game and an answer for the lore. Jump Points were a convenient way to bottleneck travel between systems that would allow the creation of independent playspaces connected by single conduits (rather than slow-burning from one massive playspace to another).
From the lore perspective, yes, it's possible that cultures could have conceivably unlocked faster-than-light travel if they didn't discover jump points, but since we have the jump point mechanic, ultimately all our alien cultures ended up discovering them. That being said, the Xi'an discovered jump points a lot later after their initial space flight relative to Humanity so their technology level overall was more advanced (such as their artistry with anti-gravity) when they did finally start exploring star systems outside of their original one.
Can We Get a Lore Post About the Companies Behind Arena Commander Buying or Merging with Star Marine?
Question: Since these two modes are now merged, can we have it reflected in the in-game lore too?
Answer: As part of the recent improvements to Star Citizen’s multiplayer game modes, there was a desire to streamline and improve the experience. Rather than having to browse the FPS and Vehicle game modes separately, all the options are currently presented together in Arena Commander. This will also make things easier when we begin introducing combined modes.
As for the fictional side of things, just like the experimental game modes themselves, we are still learning as we implement these changes. Rather than updating the current lore to address these inconsistencies, our current plan is to give Arena Commander some additional time to further refine the lobby experience then once things are a bit more locked we will officially incorporate the more finalized flow into the narrative.
Our current thoughts are that Original Systems, faced with the sheer popularity of Arena Commander, decided to retire the Electronic Access brand, and migrate their gaming platform into Arena Commander itself. As InterDimension Software was already partnered with Original Systems to feature their game in Electronic Access, it was an easy transition for them to continue to feature their heart-pounding FPS action there. As for the Star Marine title itself, it is unclear yet whether InterDimension will continue to develop games under the brand, or if they will focus more on their partnership with Original Systems.
Citizen Day?
Questions: How do noncitizens feel about this day? There must be hundreds of millions of people that wanted to become a citizen, but fell short due to valid unforeseen personal reasons or just plain bureaucracy, nepotism, or even failing to pay off corrupt politicians. Are these civilians envious? Do they ignore Citizen Day, celebrate it or try to sabotage it?
Answer: Just like many things in the universe of Star Citizen, we envision Citizenship to be a nuanced matter. There are many civilians who live in the Empire that, while disenfranchised, either do not bother themselves with intersystem politics, or believe that those who have dedicated themselves to civic life are better situated to guide the Empire’s future. And while there are certainly other privileges associated with Citizenship besides voting in the Imperator elections (we are holding off on confirming the specific perks as they will have larger design and economic impacts that are being balanced), the benefits are such that they don’t often impact people’s day-to-day lives.
Of course, as mentioned, there are those that do desire Citizenship and seek it out through various paths like military service, charitable acts, major civic contributions, etc. Typically, if someone fails to earn the status it is less owing to physical capability and widespread corruption, and more because of issues with the law or the inability to dedicate the time needed to the endeavor. Citizenship is not meant to be for everyone, but to those who have made a significant effort to serve or better the Empire.
All of that said, there are groups within the UEE who believe that voting should be a basic right and everyone should be made a Citizen (There are even some who wish to abolish the status altogether). On Citizen Day, there are often protests and demonstrations to such effect. There has also been counter programming scheduled on the day geared toward civilians, along the lines of a punk music festival. Some stores have even been known to offer a tongue-in-cheek “Civilian Discount” that day.
Ambrus Suit?
Question: Is the Ambrus suit for special occasions? It's listed as a formal jumpsuit made by MuyMuy but I can't find much other information on it. Is this more of a daily outfit for the people on Saisei or something you wear to formal occasions? Also, is MuyMuy a popular brand? They don't seem to have a ton of products.
Answer: MuyMuy is a clothing company based in Saisei (Centauri III) that prides itself on using natural fabrics to create comfortable and casual pieces. Its clothing usually has a looser fit that often features layered or draped fabrics. Overall, MuyMuy's style and brand positioning lean Earth-centric, which paints it as pretty traditional in the public eye. Their stuff would be very popular during casual Fridays at an office or with white collar workers relaxing on the weekend. While MuyMuy is a popular brand across the UEE, it has a limited presence in Stanton due to the makeup of the system. People on Hurston and ArcCorp lean more toward industrial and blue collar brands, while those on Crusader and microTech might prefer more modern, Terra-influenced brands.
With the Ambrus suit, MuyMuy is courting consumers drawn to a more modern look by putting a stylish spin on what the company does best. The suit has a more bold and modern design while still featuring a loose fit and draped cape. In addition to the use of natural brocade silk, MuyMuy also sourced worsted ma'xy.un wool from the Xi'an for use in the suit. This combines for an eye-catching and special edition to the MuyMuy line-up. One which walks the line between being right for formal occasions while still being comfortable and practical enough for everyday wear to the office.
Externer Inhalt robertsspaceindustries.comInhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne Ihre Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.Is ArcCorp’s Zeus MK IV From 2687 Going to Be Retconned or Is the In-Game Zeus MK II a Remake of an Older Ship Than That One?
Question: According to the ArcCorp portfolio: "ArcCorp began as a deep-space exploration consortium in 2687. Started in a shipping container by a group of friends, the company aimed to use their lone Zeus IV spacecraft to locate and catalog jump points." Is ArcCorp's Zeus Mk IV going to be changed to a Zeus Mk I or is the in-game Zeus Mk II a remake of a ship older than the Mk IV? If it is a re-imagined Mk II, then why did they re-imagine it rather than the newer Mk IV?
Answer: Good catch! When naming the new Zeus Mk II, the mention in the ArcCorp article was unfortunately overlooked. Since the fact that it was a Zeus craft is not that critical to the story of ArcCorp’s founding, we have gone ahead and updated it to an Aurora which had been released about thirty years prior.
Why is the mobiGlas Form Factor the Dominant Human-to-Machine Interface?
Question: Gameplay reasons aside, it feels like it would be rather tiring to keep your wrist up all the time to use your mobiGlas, while also restricting the use of the screen to a single hand. There are also privacy issues with the large transparent screen. Is there a lore reason why this rather unwieldy and awkward form factor has become the dominant mode of interfacing with one's digital life, instead of AR glasses, contact lenses, or even direct brain-to-machine interfaces?
Answer: In Star Citizen, the mobiGlas works hand-in-hand with other interface designs, many of them also from microTech. Almost everyone is equipped with Reverie AR Lens which provides the wearer critical information on their contact lens, as well various VI interfaces placed into visors and specs to provide even more details to the wearer. There are also datapads and terminals in the ‘verse that are frequently used when longer stretches of interacting with data is required. The mobiGlas fills its role as a portable device that can quickly be used to access a whole host of different apps. The hologram interface won out over traditional screens for providing a larger interface in a smaller package, as well as having the convenience of always living on your wrist. Especially useful in space travel. As for privacy concerns, people of the 30th century have an understanding that privacy in public spaces is minimal anyway and if they truly want it they need to be somewhere more remote.
Why Doesn’t the Cutlass Series Have a Bathroom?
Question: As a loyal user of the Cutlass Black, I wanted to know why it doesn’t have a toilet?
Answer: The initial in-game version of the Cutlass Black did have a toilet as part of its design. An exposed prison-style privy in the cargo hold between a cargo net and the ramp. Using it provided little privacy and considerable danger if the ramp opened during space travel. The rework that produced the current version of the ship removed the toilet, and left the Cutlass Red as the only variant to still have one, tucked into the space occupied by the turret seat in the other variants.
The Ship team hopes to reincorporate a commode into the Cutlass Black and other variants, but space is at a premium on the ship. It would be fun to weave a little lore around the lost loo, like the specs for the military contract the ship was originally designed for mandated its inclusion but Drake removed it following a redesign for the commercial market. But considering there's a chance it returns, it's probably best if we keep it out of lore for the moment. If we justify it with lore reasons now, then we'll have to explain why Drake recalled all the Cutlasses without toilets and replaced them with ones with toilets. An extremely expensive endeavor for a company famous for wanting to keep production costs as low as possible.
