It’s easy to have doubts about Star Citizen, but the game’s list of new features is packed with “big little ideas” that could reshape the MMO genre in ways unseen in the last twenty years. Regardless of whether Cloud Imperium ultimately achieves its ambitious goals, it’s clear they aren’t following any conventional path.

MMOs have always been social spaces, but the way we communicate in these games has changed far faster than the genre itself: twenty years ago, TeamSpeak was the go-to for coordinating a World of Warcraft raid, but today, Discord runs in the background of almost any activity. Though some guilds still battle for server dominance, many players are simply looking for smoother ways to connect with friends.

Sure, the current infrastructure remains effective, thanks to developers who put significant effort into updates. However, a fresh perspective might bring something even better. This is where Star Citizen enters the picture. While I’m not here to preach that Chris Roberts’ MMO will revolutionize gaming, I do think it has the potential to make waves.

CitizenCon 2954, held recently in Manchester, offered a glimpse into Cloud Imperium’s latest progress on its ambitious space exploration simulator. During the event’s first day, members of the American studio hosted a panel called A Social Universe, showcasing updates to the mobiGlas menu, which includes your friends list, among other organizational upgrades.

Game-Changing Social Innovations

Among the new ideas is a menu that displays each friend’s location and activity. If there are multiple members in your party, a submenu reveals who’s in which ship, as well as each player’s specific role—whether gunner, copilot, or otherwise. Chat features now allow linking not just to missions or API objects, but to players and exact map locations, with clicks opening the map and enabling optimized auto-routes.

The new system is functional, but also tailored to meet the needs of friend groups.

Advanced Mentorship System

There’s even an advanced mentorship system. If you have a question, you can post it publicly via a beacon that reaches only players with proven expertise in the area. Potential mentors are rated, allowing you to choose who to connect with until your issue is resolved. Once resolved, the mentor earns a reward in the form of in-game reputation.

A New Era for Organizations

Personally, the most intriguing addition is the revamped organizations—Star Citizen’s equivalent of MMO guilds. While orgs have been a part of the game, they now come with event listings, ally and enemy identifiers, and many new features in an in-game menu. Players can join up to six organizations at a time, enabling them to participate in multiple friend groups, though only one can be represented for progression purposes.

Redefining Boundaries in Virtual Worlds

These social tools are just one piece of the puzzle. Other updates detailed unique armor features that impact your interaction with the world—these aren’t just arbitrary values—and tie into professions. Player-led organizations can now establish themselves as weapon manufacturers, serving large groups with their own agendas and economies.

Of course, the big question remains: Will these promises materialize? Cloud Imperium’s track record suggests mixed outcomes, with some bold promises fulfilled to varying extents, while others evolve into new initiatives or come with certain limitations.

Source: 3djuegos