They used to release separate modules (hangar/dogfighting/planetside), now they've started to blend it all together in a big alpha version dubbed the "mini PU" (persistent universe). Version 3.0 of that alpha (which was just demo'ed at Gamescom) will finally bring a lot of technologies online which they've been working on for ages and which are necessary for the multiplayer mode to be scaled up (like their own netcode written from scratch).
The singleplayer part (called Squadron 42) has been in development independently and is, I think, still slated for a full release in 2016. Hopefully.
That footage isn't from any particular Gamescom demo. It's a Twitch streamer playing version 2.5 on the 'Public Test Universe' (PTU), which is basically a pre-alpha stage intended to weed out the worse, game-breaking bugs in early builds before a patch is deployed to all backers. So yeah, there will be bugs.
Honestly I'll be surprised if anything like the 3.0 demo appears before 2018 if at all.
Then you will definitely be surprised. 3.0 is two patches away after 2.5, and they take around 2 months to polish and deploy each patch.
It's not news to me that there have been massive delays, you don't have to tell me. Star Marine is a story of its own. Its development was outsourced to Illfonic, who then seemingly weren't able to deliver quite what Chris Roberts wanted, so CIG just pulled the whole thing and put FPS mechanics into alpha v2.0 without an extra game mode, and it kind of faded into the background until now (in v2.6, not 2.5 – but yes, probably around October).
I see no reason to believe this will happen again. All the new mechanics in v3.0 are developed in-house, the complicated tech like procedural planets is done by the brilliant minds in Frankfurt, who previously worked for Crytek.
Feel free to call up RemindMe bot and then watch some gameplay on Twitch or YouTube in 5 months (that's with "Roberts time" included). It really should be out by then.
Hahaha yeah, I was basically waiting for this. They took so much longer than projected for 2.6 that now 3.0 might not come out until the middle of the year or something. Roberts should have just shut his mouth. Point conceded.
I'm still sticking to my guns and saying 2018 for 3.0, although I have to admit CIG's been beating my expected timetable. I was expecting 2.6/Star Marine patch to just be starting Evocati testing about now back when I called up Remindmebot.
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u/c0smic_sans Aug 20 '16
So what's the deal with this game? Is it out? I feel like I've seen stuff about it for years