Derek Smart
Star Smart
2015-08-01-11:07
So a certain Derek Smart has created kind of a shit storm about Star Citizen.
He wrote three articles on his own blog .
It was not until the second one everything took off in a major way.
I will not link them since they do not deserve more attention,
If you want to read them you can find them quite easily via google
In short Mr. Smart claim to know (for a fact) what Chris Roberts’s
Cloud Imperium is doing amounts to nothing more than
a scam.
He states that Star Citizen as it is currently described can not and will not be made.
He also claims to have had paid investigators look into the matter.
Secret documents and informants.
All the while constantly referring back to his own so called reputation as a
experienced game developer
(not to mention making sure his own new project is described in each and every paragraph).
I have payed for and owned several of Mr. Smarts games.
I had VERY high hopes for Battlecruiser 3000AD and the following
titles. The game promised so very much.
But when it truly came down to it the game kept very few of those promises.
Mr. Smart states that his games are made for true diehard fans of the genre.
That most crititcs do not understand the genre.
Do not read the (extremly) lengthy manual etc.
Now this may or may not be true.
But the game objectivly sucked in a major way.
The worst of it was that all the time playing it (or trying) it hinted of the greatness.
BC3K is the game that never truly was what it claimed to be.
But still very alluring.
I would go so far as to say it is not even worth playing for free.
You can find it on steam. But do not bother unless you are simply curious.
I backed Star Citizen back in 2012. I put down a fair bit of money then. Later a bit more.
The thing about Star Citizen is this: The game is supposed to be free.
Or rather the online/multiplayer part of it at least.
So not only do they need to secure funding for the creation of single and multiplayer.
But they also must make sure they have funds to keep the blasted thing alive for a
good while AFTER it is out.
To make matters even worse the game it self sets the bar pretty damn high.
Both in graphical terms but also when it comes to immersion and game mechanics.
When (and if) it comes out it may end up being the new de facto standard of space games.
Features is one of Mr. Smarts complaints.
Or rather the ”feature creep” he claim the game suffers from.
He goes on and on and on about it. It is quite a read to be honest.
It is like he tries to hammer it in because it’s his only option to win the argument (he started).
In the end most of it amounts to a wall of text about nothing.
Most of the ”creep” are in fact mentioned in the original videos.
The newtonian physics. The first person POV.
Even the FPS parts and multiplayer support are mentioned.
They clearly state that the game will have both single player AND a persistant
multiplayer universe where friends will be able to share ships etc.
What has happened as time have gone by is this:
More detailed specifications of what all these things entail have surfaced.
Publication of lists and higher resolution text of what these game mechanics are and how they will work.
But Derek Smart, whith all his experience, do not understand the difference.
Perhaps do not want to.
He even uses a deliberate tactics of belittle anyone and all who defends Star Citizen.
All the while mentioning his own new game all the bloody time.
The next annoying thing is the fact that a game of this scope and complexity takes time to make.
Especially if you want to do it the right way and in the same time make sure it becomes a ”WOW” title.
The fact that it is not ready yet is turned against it.
The fact that the original release date has come and gone is also a sign of impending doom.
Three years! This is the time which has gone by since the Kickstarter.
During which there has been a flood of feedback.
Yes they have spent time on ship designs.
Virtual goods which people (me included) have been able to buy.
Yes they have created ”modules” which slowly have showed off ships and small
parts of the mechanics.
They are not intended as games but still they offer something.
But all this (and more) which should be said to be good things in a crowd funded
project are offered as ”proof” of fraud and incompetence - by Mr. Smart.
So can the game fail?
Yes. It can. It is possible it will come crumbling down like a house of cards.
With the 85 million USD (so far) collected it could be the most spectacular
failure in crowd funding history.
It could even kill off the whole movement of crowd funding (games).
But is this a certain thing? Hell no!
Neither I or Derek Smart has a magic eight ball which sees the future.
He states that this game will never ever be made.
That nothing of what Chris Roberts claims will come true.
That it is simply impossible. This is a ”FACT”, as Derek Smart likes to call it: ”it’s a fact”.
Words and statements do not become fact simply by making them.
He tries to back them up with links and ALOT of words and ”facts”.
But in the end all they amount to is assumtions and opinions.
His first article even starts with a disclaimer saying that it is his opinions which follows further down.
That it should not be taken as factual evidence or truth.
Well Mr. Smart. This is simply put not your opinions. Your are pure and simply wrong.
No more, no less.
The only truth here is that he do NOT know what the future holds.
He do NOT know if Star Citizen will fail or triumph. In fact he knows nothing what so ever.
When it comes down to it; Derek Smart has not written one single line of code OR made any game
that comes even close to the legacy of Chris Roberts.
Wing Commander on the Amiga was a better game in every sense compared
to ALL games Derek smart has ever made. Something that goes double for the BC3K series.
Derek Smart desperatly wants to be what his name say.
He really, really wants to be the one holding the torch of truth and justice.
He wants to show off how much experience he has and he alone truly knows what’s going on.
But he simply does not.
Personally I will wait and see. THEN and only then will we truly know if
Star Citizen is a failure or not.
But I have taken screenshots of some of Mr. Smarts statements.
Simply to be able to rub it in his electronic face if he happens to be wrong.
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