Loremakers: Community Questions

Welcome to Loremakers: Community Questions, a series focused on answering your lore questions. 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 slightly 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, August 23rd, so please join the discussion and drop any other questions you might have about the universe in our Ask A Dev forum.

Which Messer Was the 'Best'?
Question: Messers bad, bad Messers! However, considering the length they ruled it stands to reason there were a few that weren't that bad... or is that not so? Which Messer was the best in hindsight? The most humane, implementing the most beneficial policies, or maybe just largely ignoring the empire leaving it to itself?

Answer: Fun question! You're right, it's easy to generalize the rulers of the Messer era as "bad" because many of their policies were authoritarian, anti-democratic, or even outright evil (looking at you Linton Messer XI and your decision to sell terraforming rights to Garron II without any regard for the sentient beings living there). While the broad "bad" brush is applied to rulers during the Messer regime, as each played a part in dismantling democracy and consolidating power within the family, some weren't as complicit and culpable as others. So who was the best of the worst?

First, a quick overview of the Messer era, which consisted of a 246 year reign occurring between 2546-2792. Officially, there were eleven Messer Imperators but only ten reigned, as Marius Messer IV received the title as an honorarium after dying in a tragic shuttle crash in 2641. Some believe that crash was orchestrated to bring Corsen Messer V to power and marks a major downturn in the history of the Messer regime. Once family members began fighting each other for power, which they would do consistently from there forward, it only encouraged the most brutish and ruthless members of the family to do what they must to become Imperator. So you could argue that the "best" Messer would have to come before that fateful crash in 2641.

From the field of Ivar Messer I, Deacon Messer III and Livia Messer III, our vote would go to Deacon, who ruled from 2592-2628. Deacon expanded Humanity's footprint in the universe by pouring funds into exploration and terraforming efforts. He increased taxes on the wealthy and lowered them for the poor and middle class. Deacon also guided the Empire through the chaos of the Second Tevarin War (2603-2610), though he believed the war proved the UEE needed one strong leader and used it as an excuse to implement more authoritarian measures. Another point for Deacon comes from the fact that he didn't covet power so much that he held onto it until the bitter end. In 2628, he abdicated to allow his daughter Livia to become Imperator, then spent his time as one of her top advisors and a tutor to his grandson Marius, whose death in the shuttle crash devastated him. Deacon retired from public life in 2643 and spent his remaining years with family until his death in 2661.

Anyone interested in more specifics about the Messer regime should check out #messer dynasty in the Galactapedia, which includes thirteen articles on prominent members of the family. There's a lot of interesting characteristics and intrigue woven into their personal stories, and it will be a ton of fun to enlighten and expand upon these rulers and their effect on the UEE in the future.

Cosmic Horror or Scary Elements
Question: Since Star Citizen is in my opinion a very beautiful and atmospheric game, I can’t help wondering if horror segments/side stories will be a part of the game. Some scary or mysterious encounters of cosmic nature could be interesting. Is this something that the Narrative team is looking into?

Answer: We've already incorporated elements of cosmic horror into the lore in a number of ways. The very first issue of Jump Point featured the short story Whisperer in the Dark about an excursion into mysterious ruins in Hades system. Untold Tales chronicles strange encounters and phenomenon from across the 'verse, like a cryptic voice sometimes heard in abandoned mines on Pyro II. The holiday Day of the Vara, where celebrants dress in costumes and swap scary stories, sprouted from the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the exploration vessel Vara and rumors that its crew returns from the dead on that day to haunt other ships. There's also the chilling tale of Neville Lott, an infamous serial killer who went mad after witnessing the Vanduul slaughter his family.

Now, how does this get translated into the game? Well, these stories lean into situations players will find themselves in, like exploring a dark, drifting derelict or circuitous cave system. So knowing a little lore should enhance that gameplay experience. Was that sound a weird auditory effect when wind whips through this mine or could it by the Prophet of Pyro? A spooky environment, creepy audio effects, and good set dressings can go a long way to setting such a scene, so having such stories established can guide other teams towards specifics that play into what's established. And, who knows, potentially lead players in the know on some fun, scary adventures?

ArcCorp Clouds
Question: Does ArcCorp have a major water source that can produce the clouds seen around the planet?

Answer: Yes, ArcCorp has oceans and even mountain ranges, which we've called out in the company portfolio even though they don't yet appear in-game. It took a little work to get the transitions between city and water zones up to Star Citizen standards, so those areas weren't included with the initial pass of the planet but the plan is to add them at a future date.

Xenothreat, but the Inverse
Question: I am imagining this 'funny' phenomenon for the game lore: Not an organization of humans rejecting any dealings with other species, but an organization that consists of people of any other species who reject any dealings with specifically humans. Do you think such alien groups are out there?

Answer: One such group already exists, the Vanduul. All their dealing with Humans have made it quite clear that they want nothing to do with us (outside of stripping our worlds of resources). While Vanduul are the ultimate anti-Human group, other species would have segments of their population that also don't really like us, though thankfully not to the same extent as the Vanduul.

To begin, the Tevarin have been forced to deal with us ever since we overtook their homeworld and dissolved their empire. Many Tevarin may not be fond of us, but accept the reality of the situation. Still, there's a growing Tevarin settlement in Ne'er, Branaugh system, and since it's an unclaimed system those living there don't fall under UEE jurisdiction. While Humans can still visit it, the settlement is becoming a place where Tevarin can limit Human interference and influence, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if there were some vocally anti-Human groups there. Meanwhile, there are probably groups within the Xi'an Empire that don't want any dealings with Humans. Although their empire only recently opened up further thanks to the Human-Xi'an Trade Initiative (HuXa), Humanity still has limited access to the Xi'an Empire since first contact. This limited access to the Xi'an Empire means that there are clearly some within their government who haven’t forgotten Humanity’s bad behavior and are still advocating keeping them at arm’s length. With this setup, those who are anti-Human can easily avoid us, but there's an interesting area that could generate some anti-Human sentiment: Indra system. While Indra is part of the Xi'an Empire, its location as a former Perry Line system means that Humans are granted easy access to it. The system has turned into a key trading hub, and for Xi'an youth, a popular spot to immerse themselves in Human culture. If there are any vocal anti-Human groups, I could see them having a presence in Indra and attempting to convince young Xi'an to reject Human culture and ideals. Finally, the Banu are generally warm and welcoming of everyone so it would be hard to see a group of them banding together to avoid Humans. Maybe this happens on an individual level, but considering their general dispositions, I would hate to hear the stories about what would drive a Banu to avoid Humans outright.

Exclusive Offices in IO North Tower
Question: Have you planned to make the premises of the IO-North Tower available? I would like to set up the headquarters of my company in this tower, in order to hold meetings with my collaborators. Will we have information about leasing?

Answer: While there will be player owned areas, there are no current plans to make rooms within Area18's IO-North Tower available for players to rent or own. While there has been exploration into procedural tech that builds out rooms, it will first be focused on space stations and underground facilities. Hopefully the tech will expand to office buildings and apartment complexes in the future. At some point, players may be able to go inside the IO-North Tower, but renting or owning a space inside isn't currently in the plans. So to spin this from a lore perspective, the IO-North Tower is a premier office space that's currently at full occupancy and has a long waiting list of prospective renters.

So Where Do Those Spawn Closets Lead?
Question: I have been wondering about this for a while: where do the bad guys arrive from? Are the underground bunkers far larger with areas we aren’t allowed to enter? And how did the bad guys get there when there are no ships around? I get it from a game perspective, they spawn in an elevator and that is that, but what about the lore?

Answer: Those doors all lead to bathrooms, which explains why some are slow to arrive because putting on armor takes a bit of time. That’s a joke. Many locations will probably have rooms or areas that players can't directly access. Not to say these bunkers are significantly bigger just that there are certain areas that are harder to access, like how in the real world people can't get into certain areas because they don't have a key, the right clearances, and so forth. As for the lack of ships on underground bunker landing pads, the lore spin on this is that these outlaws want to remain discreet. Ships are stored offsite and only called in when necessary to reduce the chance of security forces noticing them.

ArcCorp used Stor*All containers 58 years before Stor*All was founded?
Question: ArcCorp was founded in 2687 operating out of a Stor*All container, but Stor*All was formed some 58 years later in 2745. How is that possible?

Answer: That's a date mismatch. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Took out the specificity in the ArcCorp portfolio so it now states that the company was "started in a shipping container by a group of friends."

Citizenship through Civilian Defense Force?
Question: So from what I know about the lore, you need to have served in the military to become a Citizen. My character was born in outlaw space and never served, but he is a high ranking member of the Civilian Defense Force (CDF). Is it possible for him to gain citizenship from the CDF, maybe as a reward for helping fight off Xenothreat?

Answer: Longtime fans of Star Citizen know that "Citizenship must be earned." This Writer's Guide delves into the details of how one achieves it by stating that "you must show an active commitment to furthering the interests of the UEE, which can be done through distinguished military service, community service, or application (that’s the least successful by far)."

Now, while being an active member of the Civilian Defense Force (CDF) is an admirable community service, it's currently not enough alone to earn Citizenship. Primarily because joining the UEE military is a popular way for many to attain Citizenship, so opening a similar path through the CDF would likely reduce recruitment numbers. If such an option was ever proposed, High Command would probably oppose it. That said, working with the CDF would definitely help your character's cause though, particularly if combined with other community services like hauling aid to areas in need for Empire's Overlooked.

All that being said, once we start building the actual system for players to gain Citizenship, these things will be solidified.

Job Competition in Stanton and Terra
Question: I'm sure many can relate to wanting to live in a certain city/state/country and applying for jobs there, only to come up empty handed due to being one out of literally hundreds or even thousands of people applying to that same job. Which leads me to wonder if the Stanton corporations are much the same? Hurston probably not so much due to its bad reputation, but I could definitely see microTech & Crusader Industries only hiring the best of the best from across the ‘verse. Or what about Terra? I wouldn't be surprised if very few people can actually land a job in Prime or New Austin without knowing the right contacts on the inside.

Makes you wonder how the player characters are able to live in Orison from a lore perspective, considering that they're freelancers (pun intended) who start with only a simple spacesuit & 20k aUEC in their pockets.

Answer: The goal is to create a variety of locations throughout the 'verse. There will be aspirational locations, others run down and rugged, and many modulations in between. As you noted, this already exists in Stanton with the disparity between life on Hurston versus Crusader or microTech. As happens today, many people will want to live in aspirations locations, like Orison or Prime on Terra, but might not have the means. Others might be born and spend their whole life there but never have the means to take a trip offworld. These aspirational locations will definitely attract some of the best and brightest minds in the UEE, but also be filled with blue collar workers slinging coffee at Ellroy's or repairing ships at the landing zone. Ideally there would be tiered options on where players could stay to lean into the idea that one might work in a nice spot but not be able to afford top tier accommodations.

As for the lore around how players can live and work in such competitive systems, remember that players don't simply start with a spacesuit and some creds. They own a ship, which already elevates them to a special class. Most people in the UEE don't own a ship and would have to hop a commercial flight aboard a Genesis Starliner to travel between systems. Having a ship alone qualifies players for the wide range of jobs available through the mobiGlas. Also worth noting is that since Stanton is the only system currently represented in-game players have to set a "primary residence" there for inventory management purposes. But, while players may be storing all their stuff at a spot in Stanton for now, whether or not they live there is up to you. The planetside locations where players currently wake up are habs closer to hotel rooms than apartments, meaning short-term rentals over long-term leases. So think of setting your "primary residence" less as a commitment to living at that location but where your character will be basing their operations while trying to make it in the competitive and cutthroat Stanton system.

Meridian Transit Office in Orison?!
Question: In the Galactapedia you state that Meridian Transit is based on Stanton II. Will we get an office in Orison and passenger transport as a game mechanic? If they’re based in Orison, I would assume they have a whole section of August Dunlow Spaceport for their flights. Following the existing lore, I'd further assume Meridian Transit is one of the largest companies transporting passengers around the ‘verse, but a more detailed company profile would be highly appreciated.

Answer: Currently, there aren't plans to add a Meridian Transit headquarters to Orison that players can visit. That means, within the lore, their headquarters is located on a platform off limits to the general public. Once the Genesis Starliner arrives in-game, it would make a ton of sense for Orison to be a major hub for their flight operations. Whether that will be represented by signage or through some other means is still to be seen. Will also add Meridian Transit to our list of companies to expand upon with a Jump Point portfolio. Should be fun to dig deeper into the story behind and successes of the company.

Willkommen bei Loremakers: Community Questions, einer Serie, die sich auf die Beantwortung eurer Fragen zur Geschichte konzentriert. Wir haben den Bereich "Fragen an einen Entwickler" durchforstet und zehn Fragen zum Star Citizen Universum ausgewählt, die wir beantworten. Alle Fragen wurden leicht bearbeitet, um den Kontext und die Klarheit zu verbessern, aber du kannst auf das Thema klicken, um direkt zum Originalbeitrag zu gelangen und dich an der Diskussion zu beteiligen. Das Narrative Team plant außerdem, jedes Quartal eine Folge von Loremakers zu veröffentlichen: Die nächste Ausgabe ist für Dienstag, den 23. August, geplant. Also beteilige dich an der Diskussion und stelle alle anderen Fragen, die du über das Universum hast, in unserem Ask A Dev Forum.

Welches Messer war das "Beste"?
Frage: Messers böse, böse Messers! Aber wenn man bedenkt, wie lange sie regiert haben, ist es nur logisch, dass es auch ein paar gab, die gar nicht so schlecht waren ... oder doch nicht? Welches Messer war im Nachhinein betrachtet das beste? Der menschlichste, der die vorteilhafteste Politik umsetzte, oder vielleicht derjenige, der das Reich weitgehend ignorierte und es sich selbst überließ?

Antwort: Lustige Frage! Du hast Recht, es ist einfach, die Herrscher der Messer-Ära pauschal als "schlecht" zu bezeichnen, denn viele ihrer Politiken waren autoritär, antidemokratisch oder sogar schlichtweg böse (ich schaue dich an, Linton Messer XI, und deine Entscheidung, Terraforming-Rechte an Garron II zu verkaufen, ohne Rücksicht auf die dort lebenden Lebewesen). Obwohl alle Herrscher während des Messer-Regimes als "böse" bezeichnet werden, da jeder von ihnen eine Rolle beim Abbau der Demokratie und der Konsolidierung der Macht innerhalb der Familie spielte, waren einige nicht so mitschuldig wie andere. Wer war also der Beste der Schlechtesten?

Zunächst ein kurzer Überblick über die Ära der Messer, die 246 Jahre dauerte und zwischen 2546 und 2792 stattfand. Offiziell gab es elf Messer-Imperatoren, aber nur zehn regierten, da Marius Messer IV. den Titel als Ehrentitel erhielt, nachdem er 2641 bei einem tragischen Shuttle-Absturz ums Leben kam. Manche glauben, dass dieser Absturz inszeniert wurde, um Corsen Messer V. an die Macht zu bringen, und er markiert einen tiefen Einschnitt in der Geschichte des Messer-Regimes. Als die Familienmitglieder begannen, sich gegenseitig um die Macht zu bekämpfen, was sie von da an immer wieder taten, ermutigte das nur die brutalsten und rücksichtslosesten Mitglieder der Familie, alles zu tun, was sie tun mussten, um Imperator zu werden. Man könnte also argumentieren, dass das "beste" Messer vor dem verhängnisvollen Absturz im Jahr 2641 kommen musste.

Aus dem Feld von Ivar Messer I, Deacon Messer III und Livia Messer III würde unsere Wahl auf Deacon fallen, der von 2592-2628 regierte. Deacon vergrößerte den Fußabdruck der Menschheit im Universum, indem er Gelder in die Erforschung und das Terraforming steckte. Er erhöhte die Steuern für die Wohlhabenden und senkte sie für die Armen und die Mittelschicht. Deacon führte das Imperium auch durch das Chaos des Zweiten Tevarin-Krieges (2603-2610), obwohl er glaubte, dass der Krieg bewies, dass die UEE einen starken Anführer brauchte, und ihn als Vorwand nutzte, um autoritärere Maßnahmen durchzusetzen. Ein weiterer Punkt für Deacon ist die Tatsache, dass er die Macht nicht so sehr begehrte, dass er sie bis zum bitteren Ende behielt. Im Jahr 2628 dankte er ab, damit seine Tochter Livia Imperatorin werden konnte. Danach verbrachte er seine Zeit als einer ihrer wichtigsten Berater und als Erzieher seines Enkels Marius, dessen Tod bei dem Shuttle-Absturz ihn erschütterte. Marius zog sich 2643 aus dem öffentlichen Leben zurück und verbrachte seine verbleibenden Jahre bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 2661 mit seiner Familie.

Wer sich für mehr Details über das Messer-Regime interessiert, sollte sich #messer dynasty in der Galactapedia ansehen, die dreizehn Artikel über prominente Mitglieder der Familie enthält. Es gibt eine Menge interessanter Eigenschaften und Intrigen, die in ihre persönlichen Geschichten eingewoben sind, und es wird eine Menge Spaß machen, diese Herrscher und ihre Auswirkungen auf die UEE in der Zukunft zu beleuchten und zu erweitern.

Kosmischer Horror oder gruselige Elemente
Frage: Da Star Citizen meiner Meinung nach ein sehr schönes und atmosphärisches Spiel ist, frage ich mich, ob auch Horrorelemente oder Nebengeschichten Teil des Spiels sein werden. Einige gruselige oder mysteriöse Begegnungen kosmischer Natur könnten interessant sein. Ist das etwas, das das Narrative Team in Betracht zieht?

Antwort: Wir haben bereits auf verschiedene Weise Elemente des kosmischen Horrors in die Geschichte eingebaut. In der allerersten Ausgabe von Jump Point gab es die Kurzgeschichte Whisperer in the Dark, in der es um einen Ausflug zu geheimnisvollen Ruinen im Hades-System geht. Untold Tales berichtet über seltsame Begegnungen und Phänomene aus dem gesamten Verse, wie zum Beispiel eine kryptische Stimme, die manchmal in verlassenen Minen auf Pyro II zu hören ist. Der Feiertag "Tag der Vara", an dem sich die Feiernden verkleiden und Gruselgeschichten austauschen, entstand aus dem Geheimnis um das Verschwinden des Forschungsschiffs Vara und den Gerüchten, dass dessen Besatzung an diesem Tag von den Toten zurückkehrt, um andere Schiffe heimzusuchen. Es gibt auch die schaurige Geschichte von Neville Lott, einem berüchtigten Serienmörder, der verrückt wurde, nachdem er gesehen hatte, wie die Vanduul seine Familie abschlachteten.

Wie wird das nun im Spiel umgesetzt? Nun, diese Geschichten lehnen sich an Situationen an, in denen sich die Spieler/innen wiederfinden werden, z. B. bei der Erkundung eines dunklen, treibenden Wracks oder eines verwinkelten Höhlensystems. Ein wenig Wissen über die Geschichte sollte also das Spielerlebnis verbessern. Ist das Geräusch ein seltsamer akustischer Effekt, wenn der Wind durch diese Mine peitscht, oder könnte es der Prophet von Pyro sein? Eine gespenstische Umgebung, gruselige Soundeffekte und eine gute Ausstattung können viel dazu beitragen, eine solche Szenerie zu schaffen, und wenn du solche Geschichten kennst, kannst du andere Teams auf Besonderheiten hinweisen, die mit den bestehenden Gegebenheiten zusammenhängen. Und wer weiß, vielleicht führen sie die Spielerinnen und Spieler, die sie kennen, zu lustigen, gruseligen Abenteuern?

ArcCorp-Wolken
Frage: Verfügt ArcCorp über eine große Wasserquelle, die die Wolken auf dem Planeten erzeugen kann?

Antwort: Ja, ArcCorp hat Ozeane und sogar Gebirgszüge, die wir im Unternehmensportfolio aufgeführt haben, obwohl sie im Spiel noch nicht zu sehen sind. Es war ein wenig Arbeit nötig, um die Übergänge zwischen den Stadt- und Wasserzonen auf den Standard von Star Citizen zu bringen, daher wurden diese Gebiete nicht in den ersten Durchlauf des Planeten aufgenommen, aber es ist geplant, sie zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt hinzuzufügen.

Xenothreat, aber die Umkehrung
Frage: Ich stelle mir dieses "komische" Phänomen für die Spielgeschichte vor: Nicht eine Organisation von Menschen, die jeden Umgang mit anderen Spezies ablehnt, sondern eine Organisation, die aus Menschen anderer Spezies besteht, die jeden Umgang mit Menschen ablehnen. Glaubst du, dass es solche außerirdischen Gruppen gibt?

Antwort: Eine solche Gruppe gibt es bereits, die Vanduul. Ihr Umgang mit den Menschen hat deutlich gemacht, dass sie nichts mit uns zu tun haben wollen (abgesehen davon, dass sie unseren Welten die Ressourcen rauben). Die Vanduul sind zwar die ultimative Anti-Menschen-Gruppe, aber auch bei anderen Spezies gibt es Teile ihrer Bevölkerung, die uns nicht wirklich mögen, wenn auch zum Glück nicht in demselben Ausmaß wie die Vanduul.

Zunächst einmal sind die Tevarin gezwungen, sich mit uns auseinanderzusetzen, seit wir ihre Heimatwelt erobert und ihr Imperium aufgelöst haben. Viele Tevarin mögen uns zwar nicht, akzeptieren aber die Realität der Situation. Dennoch gibt es eine wachsende Tevarin-Siedlung im System Ne'er, Branaugh, und da es ein nicht beanspruchtes System ist, fallen die dort lebenden Menschen nicht unter die Zuständigkeit der UEE. Die Menschen können es zwar immer noch besuchen, aber die Siedlung entwickelt sich zu einem Ort, an dem die Tevarin die Einmischung und den Einfluss der Menschen begrenzen können, sodass es nicht allzu überraschend wäre, wenn es dort einige lautstarke Anti-Mensch-Gruppen gäbe. Wahrscheinlich gibt es auch innerhalb des Xi'an-Reiches Gruppen, die nichts mit den Menschen zu tun haben wollen. Obwohl sich das Xi'an-Reich erst vor kurzem dank der Handelsinitiative Mensch-Xi'an (HuXa) weiter geöffnet hat, ist der Zugang der Menschen zum Xi'an-Reich seit dem ersten Kontakt immer noch begrenzt. Dieser eingeschränkte Zugang zum Xi'an-Reich bedeutet, dass es innerhalb der Regierung einige gibt, die das schlechte Verhalten der Menschen nicht vergessen haben und immer noch dafür eintreten, sie auf Distanz zu halten. Auf diese Weise können uns Menschenfeinde leicht aus dem Weg gehen, aber es gibt ein interessantes Gebiet, das Menschenfeindlichkeit hervorrufen könnte: Das Indra-System. Indra gehört zwar zum Xi'an-Imperium, aber da es ein ehemaliges Perry-Line-System ist, haben die Menschen leichten Zugang dazu. Das System hat sich zu einem wichtigen Handelsknotenpunkt entwickelt und ist für die Jugend von Xi'an ein beliebter Ort, um in die menschliche Kultur einzutauchen. Wenn es lautstarke menschenfeindliche Gruppen gibt, könnte ich mir vorstellen, dass sie in Indra präsent sind und versuchen, die jungen Xi'an davon zu überzeugen, die menschliche Kultur und Ideale abzulehnen. Schließlich sind die Banu im Allgemeinen warmherzig und gastfreundlich, so dass es schwer vorstellbar wäre, dass sich eine Gruppe von ihnen zusammenschließt, um die Menschen zu meiden. Vielleicht passiert das auf individueller Ebene, aber in Anbetracht ihrer allgemeinen Veranlagung würde ich ungern Geschichten darüber hören, was einen Banu dazu bringt, die Menschen rundheraus zu meiden.

Exklusive Büroräume im IO-Nordturm
Frage: Hast du vor, die Räumlichkeiten des IO-Nordturms zur Verfügung zu stellen? Ich würde gerne den Hauptsitz meines Unternehmens in diesem Turm einrichten, um dort Treffen mit meinen Mitarbeitern abzuhalten. Werden wir Informationen über die Vermietung erhalten?

Antwort: Es wird zwar Bereiche geben, die den Spielern gehören, aber es gibt derzeit keine Pläne, den Spielern Räume im IO-Nord-Turm der Area18 zur Verfügung zu stellen, die sie mieten oder besitzen können. Es gibt zwar Forschungen zur prozeduralen Technologie, mit der Räume gebaut werden können, aber sie wird sich zunächst auf Raumstationen und unterirdische Anlagen konzentrieren. Wir hoffen, dass die Technologie in Zukunft auch auf Bürogebäude und Wohnkomplexe ausgeweitet wird. Irgendwann werden die Spieler/innen auch den IO-North Tower betreten können, aber es ist nicht geplant, dort Räume zu mieten oder zu besitzen. Aus Sicht der Geschichte ist der IO-North Tower also ein erstklassiges Bürogebäude, das derzeit voll ausgelastet ist und eine lange Warteliste von Mietinteressenten hat.

Wohin führen diese Spawn Closets?
Frage: Das frage ich mich schon eine Weile: Woher kommen die Bösewichte? Sind die unterirdischen Bunker viel größer mit Bereichen, die wir nicht betreten dürfen? Und wie sind die Bösewichte dorthin gekommen, wenn keine Schiffe in der Nähe sind? Aus der Spielperspektive verstehe ich, dass sie in einem Aufzug spawnen und das war's. Aber was ist mit der Geschichte?

Antwort: Diese Türen führen alle zu Badezimmern, was erklärt, warum manche nur langsam ankommen, weil das Anlegen der Rüstung ein bisschen Zeit braucht. Das ist ein Scherz. An vielen Orten wird es wahrscheinlich Räume oder Bereiche geben, die die Spieler nicht direkt betreten können. Das heißt nicht, dass diese Bunker wesentlich größer sind, sondern nur, dass es bestimmte Bereiche gibt, die schwerer zugänglich sind, so wie man in der realen Welt in bestimmte Bereiche nicht reinkommt, weil man keinen Schlüssel hat, nicht die richtige Freigabe und so weiter. Was das Fehlen von Schiffen auf unterirdischen Bunkerlandeplätzen angeht, so ist die Erklärung dafür, dass die Gesetzlosen diskret bleiben wollen. Die Schiffe werden außerhalb des Geländes gelagert und nur bei Bedarf angefordert, damit die Sicherheitskräfte sie nicht bemerken können.

ArcCorp benutzte Stor*All Container 58 Jahre vor der Gründung von Stor*All?
Frage: ArcCorp wurde 2687 gegründet und arbeitet aus einem Stor*All-Container heraus, aber Stor*All wurde erst 58 Jahre später, 2745, gegründet. Wie ist das möglich?

Antwort: Das ist eine Datumsüberschneidung. Danke, dass du uns darauf aufmerksam gemacht hast. Wir haben die Besonderheit im ArcCorp-Portfolio entfernt, so dass es jetzt heißt, dass das Unternehmen "in einem Schiffscontainer von einer Gruppe von Freunden gegründet wurde".

Staatsbürgerschaft durch Civilian Defense Force?
Frage: Soweit ich weiß, muss man im Militär gedient haben, um Staatsbürger zu werden. Mein Charakter wurde im Outlaw Space geboren und hat nie gedient, aber er ist ein hochrangiges Mitglied der Civilian Defense Force (CDF). Ist es möglich, dass er von der CDF die Staatsbürgerschaft erhält, vielleicht als Belohnung für seine Hilfe im Kampf gegen Xenothreat?

Antwort: Langjährige Fans von Star Citizen wissen, dass "Staatsbürgerschaft verdient werden muss". Im Writer's Guide wird genau erklärt, wie man sie erlangt: "Du musst dich aktiv für die Interessen der UEE einsetzen, was durch herausragenden Militärdienst, gemeinnützige Arbeit oder eine Bewerbung (die mit Abstand am wenigsten erfolgreich ist) geschehen kann."

Ein aktives Mitglied der Civilian Defense Force (CDF) zu sein, ist zwar ein bewundernswerter Dienst an der Gemeinschaft, reicht aber derzeit nicht aus, um die Staatsbürgerschaft zu erhalten. Das liegt vor allem daran, dass der Beitritt zum UEE-Militär für viele ein beliebter Weg ist, um die Staatsbürgerschaft zu erlangen, so dass ein ähnlicher Weg über die CDF wahrscheinlich die Rekrutierungszahlen senken würde. Sollte eine solche Option jemals vorgeschlagen werden, würde das Oberkommando sie wahrscheinlich ablehnen. Dennoch würde die Zusammenarbeit mit dem CDF der Sache deines Charakters auf jeden Fall helfen, vor allem, wenn sie mit anderen Gemeinschaftsdiensten wie dem Transport von Hilfsgütern in bedürftige Gebiete für die Übersehenen des Imperiums kombiniert wird.

Sobald wir das eigentliche System für die Erlangung der Staatsbürgerschaft entwickelt haben, werden wir diese Fragen klären.

Job-Wettbewerb in Stanton und Terra
Frage: Ich bin mir sicher, dass viele von euch wissen, wie es ist, wenn man in einer bestimmten Stadt/Staat/Land leben möchte und sich dort auf eine Stelle bewirbt, nur um dann mit leeren Händen dazustehen, weil man einer von buchstäblich Hunderten oder sogar Tausenden ist, die sich auf dieselbe Stelle bewerben. Deshalb frage ich mich, ob es den Stanton-Unternehmen ähnlich ergeht? Hurston wahrscheinlich nicht so sehr, weil es einen schlechten Ruf hat, aber ich könnte mir gut vorstellen, dass microTech und Crusader Industries nur die Besten der Besten aus dem ganzen Verse einstellen. Oder was ist mit Terra? Es würde mich nicht überraschen, wenn nur sehr wenige Menschen einen Job auf Prime oder New Austin bekommen, ohne die richtigen Kontakte zu haben.

Man fragt sich, wie die Spielercharaktere in Orison leben können, wenn man bedenkt, dass sie als Freiberufler (Wortspiel beabsichtigt) nur einen einfachen Raumanzug und 20.000 AUEC in der Tasche haben.

Antwort: Das Ziel ist es, eine Vielzahl von Orten im ganzen Verse zu schaffen. Es wird aufstrebende Orte geben, andere sind heruntergekommen und rau, und viele Variationen dazwischen. Wie du bemerkt hast, gibt es das bereits in Stanton mit den Unterschieden zwischen dem Leben auf Hurston und Crusader oder MicroTech. Wie heute auch, werden viele Menschen an aufstrebenden Orten wie Orison oder Prime auf Terra leben wollen, haben aber vielleicht nicht die Mittel dazu. Andere werden vielleicht dort geboren und verbringen ihr ganzes Leben dort, haben aber nie die Mittel, um eine Reise außerhalb der Welt zu unternehmen. Diese aufstrebenden Orte werden mit Sicherheit einige der besten und klügsten Köpfe der UEE anziehen, aber sie sind auch voller Arbeiter, die bei Ellroy's Kaffee trinken oder in der Landezone Schiffe reparieren. Idealerweise gäbe es abgestufte Unterkunftsmöglichkeiten, um dem Gedanken Rechnung zu tragen, dass man zwar an einem schönen Ort arbeitet, sich aber keine erstklassigen Unterkünfte leisten kann.

Wenn es darum geht, wie Spieler/innen in solchen wettbewerbsfähigen Systemen leben und arbeiten können, darfst du nicht vergessen, dass Spieler/innen nicht einfach mit einem Raumanzug und ein paar Creds starten. Sie besitzen ein Schiff, was sie bereits zu einer besonderen Klasse macht. Die meisten Menschen in der UEE besitzen kein Schiff und müssten einen kommerziellen Flug an Bord eines Genesis Starliners nehmen, um zwischen den Systemen zu reisen. Allein der Besitz eines Schiffes qualifiziert die Spieler/innen für die vielen Jobs, die über das mobiGlas angeboten werden. Da Stanton das einzige System ist, das derzeit im Spiel vertreten ist, müssen Spieler/innen dort einen "Hauptwohnsitz" einrichten, um ihr Inventar zu verwalten. Auch wenn die Spieler/innen im Moment alle ihre Sachen an einem Ort in Stanton aufbewahren, bleibt es dir überlassen, ob sie dort wohnen oder nicht. Die Orte auf dem Planeten, an denen Spieler/innen derzeit aufwachen, sind eher Hotelzimmer als Wohnungen, also eher Kurzzeitmieten als Langzeitmieten. Sieh deinen "Hauptwohnsitz" also weniger als Verpflichtung an, an diesem Ort zu leben, sondern als den Ort, an dem deine Spielfigur ihre Geschäfte abwickelt, während sie versucht, im wettbewerbsintensiven und halsabschneiderischen Stanton-System zu bestehen.

Meridian Transit Office in Orison?!
Frage: In der Galactapedia schreibst du, dass Meridian Transit in Stanton II angesiedelt ist. Werden wir ein Büro in Orison und den Personentransport als Spielmechanik bekommen? Wenn sie ihren Sitz in Orison haben, würde ich annehmen, dass sie einen ganzen Abschnitt des August-Dunlow-Raumhafens für ihre Flüge nutzen. Nach der bestehenden Geschichte würde ich außerdem annehmen, dass Meridian Transit eines der größten Unternehmen ist, das Passagiere im ganzen Universum transportiert, aber ein detaillierteres Firmenprofil wäre sehr willkommen.

Antwort: Zurzeit gibt es keine Pläne, einen Hauptsitz von Meridian Transit in Orison einzurichten, den die Spieler besuchen können. Das bedeutet, dass sich der Hauptsitz des Unternehmens auf einer Plattform befindet, die für die Öffentlichkeit nicht zugänglich ist. Sobald der Genesis Starliner im Spiel eintrifft, würde es sehr viel Sinn machen, wenn Orison ein wichtiges Drehkreuz für den Flugbetrieb wäre. Ob dies durch eine Beschilderung oder auf andere Weise dargestellt wird, bleibt abzuwarten. Außerdem werden wir Meridian Transit auf die Liste der Unternehmen setzen, die wir mit einem Jump Point-Portfolio ausbauen wollen. Es wird Spaß machen, die Geschichte und die Erfolge des Unternehmens zu erforschen.

Welcome to Loremakers: Community Questions, a series focused on answering your lore questions. 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 slightly 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, August 23rd, so please join the discussion and drop any other questions you might have about the universe in our Ask A Dev forum.

Which Messer Was the 'Best'?
Question: Messers bad, bad Messers! However, considering the length they ruled it stands to reason there were a few that weren't that bad... or is that not so? Which Messer was the best in hindsight? The most humane, implementing the most beneficial policies, or maybe just largely ignoring the empire leaving it to itself?

Answer: Fun question! You're right, it's easy to generalize the rulers of the Messer era as "bad" because many of their policies were authoritarian, anti-democratic, or even outright evil (looking at you Linton Messer XI and your decision to sell terraforming rights to Garron II without any regard for the sentient beings living there). While the broad "bad" brush is applied to rulers during the Messer regime, as each played a part in dismantling democracy and consolidating power within the family, some weren't as complicit and culpable as others. So who was the best of the worst?

First, a quick overview of the Messer era, which consisted of a 246 year reign occurring between 2546-2792. Officially, there were eleven Messer Imperators but only ten reigned, as Marius Messer IV received the title as an honorarium after dying in a tragic shuttle crash in 2641. Some believe that crash was orchestrated to bring Corsen Messer V to power and marks a major downturn in the history of the Messer regime. Once family members began fighting each other for power, which they would do consistently from there forward, it only encouraged the most brutish and ruthless members of the family to do what they must to become Imperator. So you could argue that the "best" Messer would have to come before that fateful crash in 2641.

From the field of Ivar Messer I, Deacon Messer III and Livia Messer III, our vote would go to Deacon, who ruled from 2592-2628. Deacon expanded Humanity's footprint in the universe by pouring funds into exploration and terraforming efforts. He increased taxes on the wealthy and lowered them for the poor and middle class. Deacon also guided the Empire through the chaos of the Second Tevarin War (2603-2610), though he believed the war proved the UEE needed one strong leader and used it as an excuse to implement more authoritarian measures. Another point for Deacon comes from the fact that he didn't covet power so much that he held onto it until the bitter end. In 2628, he abdicated to allow his daughter Livia to become Imperator, then spent his time as one of her top advisors and a tutor to his grandson Marius, whose death in the shuttle crash devastated him. Deacon retired from public life in 2643 and spent his remaining years with family until his death in 2661.

Anyone interested in more specifics about the Messer regime should check out #messer dynasty in the Galactapedia, which includes thirteen articles on prominent members of the family. There's a lot of interesting characteristics and intrigue woven into their personal stories, and it will be a ton of fun to enlighten and expand upon these rulers and their effect on the UEE in the future.

Cosmic Horror or Scary Elements
Question: Since Star Citizen is in my opinion a very beautiful and atmospheric game, I can’t help wondering if horror segments/side stories will be a part of the game. Some scary or mysterious encounters of cosmic nature could be interesting. Is this something that the Narrative team is looking into?

Answer: We've already incorporated elements of cosmic horror into the lore in a number of ways. The very first issue of Jump Point featured the short story Whisperer in the Dark about an excursion into mysterious ruins in Hades system. Untold Tales chronicles strange encounters and phenomenon from across the 'verse, like a cryptic voice sometimes heard in abandoned mines on Pyro II. The holiday Day of the Vara, where celebrants dress in costumes and swap scary stories, sprouted from the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the exploration vessel Vara and rumors that its crew returns from the dead on that day to haunt other ships. There's also the chilling tale of Neville Lott, an infamous serial killer who went mad after witnessing the Vanduul slaughter his family.

Now, how does this get translated into the game? Well, these stories lean into situations players will find themselves in, like exploring a dark, drifting derelict or circuitous cave system. So knowing a little lore should enhance that gameplay experience. Was that sound a weird auditory effect when wind whips through this mine or could it by the Prophet of Pyro? A spooky environment, creepy audio effects, and good set dressings can go a long way to setting such a scene, so having such stories established can guide other teams towards specifics that play into what's established. And, who knows, potentially lead players in the know on some fun, scary adventures?

ArcCorp Clouds
Question: Does ArcCorp have a major water source that can produce the clouds seen around the planet?

Answer: Yes, ArcCorp has oceans and even mountain ranges, which we've called out in the company portfolio even though they don't yet appear in-game. It took a little work to get the transitions between city and water zones up to Star Citizen standards, so those areas weren't included with the initial pass of the planet but the plan is to add them at a future date.

Xenothreat, but the Inverse
Question: I am imagining this 'funny' phenomenon for the game lore: Not an organization of humans rejecting any dealings with other species, but an organization that consists of people of any other species who reject any dealings with specifically humans. Do you think such alien groups are out there?

Answer: One such group already exists, the Vanduul. All their dealing with Humans have made it quite clear that they want nothing to do with us (outside of stripping our worlds of resources). While Vanduul are the ultimate anti-Human group, other species would have segments of their population that also don't really like us, though thankfully not to the same extent as the Vanduul.

To begin, the Tevarin have been forced to deal with us ever since we overtook their homeworld and dissolved their empire. Many Tevarin may not be fond of us, but accept the reality of the situation. Still, there's a growing Tevarin settlement in Ne'er, Branaugh system, and since it's an unclaimed system those living there don't fall under UEE jurisdiction. While Humans can still visit it, the settlement is becoming a place where Tevarin can limit Human interference and influence, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if there were some vocally anti-Human groups there. Meanwhile, there are probably groups within the Xi'an Empire that don't want any dealings with Humans. Although their empire only recently opened up further thanks to the Human-Xi'an Trade Initiative (HuXa), Humanity still has limited access to the Xi'an Empire since first contact. This limited access to the Xi'an Empire means that there are clearly some within their government who haven’t forgotten Humanity’s bad behavior and are still advocating keeping them at arm’s length. With this setup, those who are anti-Human can easily avoid us, but there's an interesting area that could generate some anti-Human sentiment: Indra system. While Indra is part of the Xi'an Empire, its location as a former Perry Line system means that Humans are granted easy access to it. The system has turned into a key trading hub, and for Xi'an youth, a popular spot to immerse themselves in Human culture. If there are any vocal anti-Human groups, I could see them having a presence in Indra and attempting to convince young Xi'an to reject Human culture and ideals. Finally, the Banu are generally warm and welcoming of everyone so it would be hard to see a group of them banding together to avoid Humans. Maybe this happens on an individual level, but considering their general dispositions, I would hate to hear the stories about what would drive a Banu to avoid Humans outright.

Exclusive Offices in IO North Tower
Question: Have you planned to make the premises of the IO-North Tower available? I would like to set up the headquarters of my company in this tower, in order to hold meetings with my collaborators. Will we have information about leasing?

Answer: While there will be player owned areas, there are no current plans to make rooms within Area18's IO-North Tower available for players to rent or own. While there has been exploration into procedural tech that builds out rooms, it will first be focused on space stations and underground facilities. Hopefully the tech will expand to office buildings and apartment complexes in the future. At some point, players may be able to go inside the IO-North Tower, but renting or owning a space inside isn't currently in the plans. So to spin this from a lore perspective, the IO-North Tower is a premier office space that's currently at full occupancy and has a long waiting list of prospective renters.

So Where Do Those Spawn Closets Lead?
Question: I have been wondering about this for a while: where do the bad guys arrive from? Are the underground bunkers far larger with areas we aren’t allowed to enter? And how did the bad guys get there when there are no ships around? I get it from a game perspective, they spawn in an elevator and that is that, but what about the lore?

Answer: Those doors all lead to bathrooms, which explains why some are slow to arrive because putting on armor takes a bit of time. That’s a joke. Many locations will probably have rooms or areas that players can't directly access. Not to say these bunkers are significantly bigger just that there are certain areas that are harder to access, like how in the real world people can't get into certain areas because they don't have a key, the right clearances, and so forth. As for the lack of ships on underground bunker landing pads, the lore spin on this is that these outlaws want to remain discreet. Ships are stored offsite and only called in when necessary to reduce the chance of security forces noticing them.

ArcCorp used Stor*All containers 58 years before Stor*All was founded?
Question: ArcCorp was founded in 2687 operating out of a Stor*All container, but Stor*All was formed some 58 years later in 2745. How is that possible?

Answer: That's a date mismatch. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Took out the specificity in the ArcCorp portfolio so it now states that the company was "started in a shipping container by a group of friends."

Citizenship through Civilian Defense Force?
Question: So from what I know about the lore, you need to have served in the military to become a Citizen. My character was born in outlaw space and never served, but he is a high ranking member of the Civilian Defense Force (CDF). Is it possible for him to gain citizenship from the CDF, maybe as a reward for helping fight off Xenothreat?

Answer: Longtime fans of Star Citizen know that "Citizenship must be earned." This Writer's Guide delves into the details of how one achieves it by stating that "you must show an active commitment to furthering the interests of the UEE, which can be done through distinguished military service, community service, or application (that’s the least successful by far)."

Now, while being an active member of the Civilian Defense Force (CDF) is an admirable community service, it's currently not enough alone to earn Citizenship. Primarily because joining the UEE military is a popular way for many to attain Citizenship, so opening a similar path through the CDF would likely reduce recruitment numbers. If such an option was ever proposed, High Command would probably oppose it. That said, working with the CDF would definitely help your character's cause though, particularly if combined with other community services like hauling aid to areas in need for Empire's Overlooked.

All that being said, once we start building the actual system for players to gain Citizenship, these things will be solidified.

Job Competition in Stanton and Terra
Question: I'm sure many can relate to wanting to live in a certain city/state/country and applying for jobs there, only to come up empty handed due to being one out of literally hundreds or even thousands of people applying to that same job. Which leads me to wonder if the Stanton corporations are much the same? Hurston probably not so much due to its bad reputation, but I could definitely see microTech & Crusader Industries only hiring the best of the best from across the ‘verse. Or what about Terra? I wouldn't be surprised if very few people can actually land a job in Prime or New Austin without knowing the right contacts on the inside.

Makes you wonder how the player characters are able to live in Orison from a lore perspective, considering that they're freelancers (pun intended) who start with only a simple spacesuit & 20k aUEC in their pockets.

Answer: The goal is to create a variety of locations throughout the 'verse. There will be aspirational locations, others run down and rugged, and many modulations in between. As you noted, this already exists in Stanton with the disparity between life on Hurston versus Crusader or microTech. As happens today, many people will want to live in aspirations locations, like Orison or Prime on Terra, but might not have the means. Others might be born and spend their whole life there but never have the means to take a trip offworld. These aspirational locations will definitely attract some of the best and brightest minds in the UEE, but also be filled with blue collar workers slinging coffee at Ellroy's or repairing ships at the landing zone. Ideally there would be tiered options on where players could stay to lean into the idea that one might work in a nice spot but not be able to afford top tier accommodations.

As for the lore around how players can live and work in such competitive systems, remember that players don't simply start with a spacesuit and some creds. They own a ship, which already elevates them to a special class. Most people in the UEE don't own a ship and would have to hop a commercial flight aboard a Genesis Starliner to travel between systems. Having a ship alone qualifies players for the wide range of jobs available through the mobiGlas. Also worth noting is that since Stanton is the only system currently represented in-game players have to set a "primary residence" there for inventory management purposes. But, while players may be storing all their stuff at a spot in Stanton for now, whether or not they live there is up to you. The planetside locations where players currently wake up are habs closer to hotel rooms than apartments, meaning short-term rentals over long-term leases. So think of setting your "primary residence" less as a commitment to living at that location but where your character will be basing their operations while trying to make it in the competitive and cutthroat Stanton system.

Meridian Transit Office in Orison?!
Question: In the Galactapedia you state that Meridian Transit is based on Stanton II. Will we get an office in Orison and passenger transport as a game mechanic? If they’re based in Orison, I would assume they have a whole section of August Dunlow Spaceport for their flights. Following the existing lore, I'd further assume Meridian Transit is one of the largest companies transporting passengers around the ‘verse, but a more detailed company profile would be highly appreciated.

Answer: Currently, there aren't plans to add a Meridian Transit headquarters to Orison that players can visit. That means, within the lore, their headquarters is located on a platform off limits to the general public. Once the Genesis Starliner arrives in-game, it would make a ton of sense for Orison to be a major hub for their flight operations. Whether that will be represented by signage or through some other means is still to be seen. Will also add Meridian Transit to our list of companies to expand upon with a Jump Point portfolio. Should be fun to dig deeper into the story behind and successes of the company.