The pledgers at Kickstarter just hit $1.5M and unlocked the Drake Interplanetary Caterpillar, a pirate-oriented armored transport! You can find the specifications below.
Pirate Ships
In other big news, we’ve added a special tier and add-on to appeal to players who’d like to start the game as a pirate! You can now add a Drake Cutlass fighter to your existing pledge or you can pick up a new copy of Star Citizen that includes the Cutlass. The package includes a tractor beam and a docking collar so you can start raiding commerce right off the bat! And if you live outside the law, you must look awesome: we also have two $5 pirate skin options, which you can preview right here on the Cutlass! You can pick them up here on RSI or by adding the appropriate funds to your Kickstarter pledge. This package is available only through the end of the pledge drive, so if you’d like a Cutlass with free lifetime insurance, pick it up now!
Subscriptions
Over the past month we’ve had a lot of requests from users who simply want to support the game. Some can’t afford to spend $250 on a higher pledge tier right now but would like to help out every month for a small amount. Then there are those that have already backed for a good amount but believe so strongly in the project that they want help make sure we can deliver as much content and functionality as possible by adding a monthly contribution. We’re honored and humbled by this.
We welcome the support as every extra dollar allows us to flesh out the world with more ships, locations and features. If just 10% of the community helps out in this manner, we would be able to afford 6 additional team members. This would mean more artists to build ships and systems, game designers to flesh out missions and an additional person or two to service the community more effectively.
But we needed to sit back and figure out how to do this in a way that doesn’t violate our core principals. To that end, we want to make clear that there will NEVER be a subscription needed to play Star Citizen. Once you have backed you should not have to spend extra money to play the game. Similarly, Star Citizen will never be ‘pay to win,’ so we are not going to offer a subscription plan that gives some users special equipment or additional money or any kind of edge in combat. We feel strongly that everything that affects gameplay can be earned in game via your actions.
The only thing left is telling our story: letting you follow the development of the game. But here’s the thing: we’re already doing that. It was part of the promise we made when you pledged for your copy of Star Citizen in the first place and, again, we aren’t going to change any of our plans because it might mean more money. If you’ve paid for the game, everything at the site is yours for the next two years: the Comm-Link, the Spectrum Dispatches, the RSI Museum, the forums and the live chat… as is everything we haven’t rolled out yet, but will: engineering updates about the game mechanics, “holovids” of the gameplay as it takes shape, access to the Alpha and Beta and much more.
Instead, we’ve created an extra set of rewards and ways to follow our development for interested subscribers, divided into two levels: Centurion ($10/month) and Imperator ($20/month.) These are things that we’re confident we wouldn’t have done without the extra money and the time it allows us. Here’s the rundown:
Centurion:
- The ability to participate in the live monthly team “show and tell.” We will answer twenty questions from subscribers (selected via voting system.) Subscribers will watch the update live as it is being recorded.
- Jump Point, the monthly digital magazine of Star Citizen. A 4-6 page monthly newsletter which includes updates from the team and new in-universe Star Citizen fiction from the writing team.
- Access to “The Vault,” a collection of Star Citizen artwork that would otherwise never be seen, including ‘paths not taken’ discarded concept art for the true collector.
- An exclusive catalog of Star Citizen subscriber merchandise.
- Your name in the game. We can’t tell you where you’ll find it, but if you subscribe for at least 12 months your name will be located somewhere in the Star Citizen world!
- Centurion decal for your ship
Imperator:
- Everything listed above, plus…
- Visit Cloud Imperium and see how the game is made! Imperator-level subscribers will be allowed one visit per year (scheduled in advance) to the Star Citizen development offices in Austin or Los Angeles.
- Three wishes – Chris Roberts will personally reply to three of your questions a year.
- Your name on the wall-of-honor at Cloud Imperium HQ if you subscribe for at least 12 months.
- Jump Point: Year One, a printed collection of Jump Point issues provided to anyone who subscribes for the entire first year of development.
- Imperator decal for your Ship.
We’re excited about making these two development subscriptions available immediately, but once again our ambitions are a little bit ahead of our site’s capabilities. As such, we’re asking interested subscribers to purchase the Centurion or Imperator pledge from our main page. This will bill you for the first month. Once the crowd funding phase has ended we will then spend the time needed to properly implement a recurring charge through all our supported payment methods, which we will have up and running in time for your second month’s subscription payment.
We are eternally grateful for all the amazing support you’ve given us so far and we don’t expect any more from any of you. This is completely optional and is all about your desire to see that Star Citizen is the richest game possible from the outset.
Caterpillar
Builder: Drake Intergalactic
Crew (max): 5
Mass (empty): 68,000 Kg (heavier due to armor)
Focus: Heavy Mercantile (Pirate)
Drake maintains that the Caterpillar, a sprawling, modular spacecraft which appears at least somewhat like its namesake, is for legitimate commerce and extended search and rescue missions… but at the end of the day, the Caterpillar is truly the evil twin of the Freelancer.
Designed for supporting pirate operations, the Caterpillar features a large cargo hold for carrying loot, heavier armor than other freighters in its class and room for five crew able to serve in boarding operations. Despite its heavier armor, the Caterpillar isn’t a bulldog… a succesful operation will require a fighter escort.
Upgrade Capacity: 8
Cargo Capacity: 20 tonnes
Engine-
Modifiers: 2
Max. Class: Anti-Matter
Thrusters: 2x TR5, 8 x TR2
Hardpoints-
4 x Class 2: Equipped 2 x Behring M2A Laser Cannon
2 x Class 3: Non Equipped
2 x Class 4: Equipped 2x Behring M5A Laser Cannon (turret), 1x L-Sys Mark III Tractor Beam
Wow updates keep comming.
cool looking ship, but not at all what i expected. it would be nice to get the skins without all the swords, teeth, eyes and and skulls. i don’t believe in dedicated pirate ships; i think anything can be used for piracy so a plain design for the non-pirates would be cool (and simple to implement). perhaps have said items be optional (optional color scheme, option decal, option “nose” art, etc).
i wonder if electro hull skins work on all ships?
The skins are “electro-skins”. These are the flare “I’m a pirate!” skins. The default look of the Cutlass is much more pedestrian. The idea is to be like Kid Crimson and switch on your pirate skin when you’re ready to intimidate!
Wow. Nice. As if you’re raising the pirate flag. This will lead to some very interesting role play stories.
Pirates didnt always raise the flag until it was to late – electro skins would allow that…*evil grin*
Those skins aren’t standard, you have to buy them separately as I understand it.
oops, wasn’t meant as a reply! lol
The electro skin is meant to work for all hulls yes
Can we own more than one shp before the game goes live?
wow thats sharp.
Good God, that Cutlass is a sexy beast o_O
No joke. I’m no pirate, but damn I want one.
I second Breaker’s “I’m no pirate, but damn I want one”
WANT!
The second pic reminds me of a Reaver ship from Firefly (or well Serenity)
Well if you put in some blood and hanging body parts among few hull breachs.. yes indeed
That’ll be easy, if we’re allowed to fly these on a planet, just got all GTA, and done, ship decorated all Reaver style!
That Cutlass actually makes me think about being a pirate! My wallet hurts.
Loving every minute of it.
Its OK I suppose…Good thing my Constellation going to kick its ass
You have my support, the way you are handling subscriptions is perfect. bravo.
Aye! They do a excellent job! Not like a EA money grubbing thing
I’ll probably won’t be the only one changing professions after seeing this. Or merchant on weekdays pirate on the weekends. Has to be done.
More awesome sauce, if only I could afford a monthly subscription took me a month to save up for my pledge lol.
Imperator subscriber. 2nd or 3rd one.
Would have been first if i didnt have to setup a secure tunnel through this public wifi.
Id happily pay for cutlass as an addon, but i already have enough tiers already.
Cool, I looked in the add-ons but they didn’t show up for me yet. Will look again.
I can’t find the link for the subscription options. It’s not in the digital or physical pledge update sections. Care to point me in the right direction?
Same problem here…
Or am I just too stupid to find it :S
@Devs: Please link this information to the Subscriptions/Pledges so that the info stays available if this update is lost under the many new updates!
what about “Name a Newly Discovered Star System: $5000 0/5 Backers” ?
This is a planned ingame feature: As new systems become available the first player to succesfully jump there will have the system named after him. So not having this as a pledge rewad is part of their “Don’t change plans to grab money” mentality.
This is a planned ingame feature: As new systems become available the first player to succesfully jump there will have the system named after him. So not having this as a pledge reward is part of their “Don’t change plans to grab money” mentality.
Gottsa have this sexy beast… this can actually be used AGAINST the pirates even if you are not a pirate.
Gotta go see how much it cost.
Babylon 5 fans should remember this minbari ship.
http://www.kitsune.addr.com/SF-Conversions/Rifts-B5-Ships/Minbari_Flyer.jpg
um, very nice ship!
Sandi said on KS that he has this ship…so Sandi maybe going to be a pirate… interesting news today
Awesome news about the subs. Will they still be available to purchase after the crowd funding phase ends? PLEASE!
Exactly my question. Can’t find a link yet but new things were added to the add ons since I got the aurora, so will keep looking for the subscription links there.
nope! get it while you can! otherwise you’ll have to buy it with credits two years from now.
…for some reason i thought you were talking about the ships. nevermind me! i would think you could subscribe after though…no sense not to be able to do that.
Name a Newly Discovered Star System $5000 NEW! Added 11/17/12
wowzers, if only, lol.
Awesome! I will 100% be doing the $20 per month plan!
You’ve mentioned in a previous update that all the ships you offer will be available through gameplay. Does that apply to the skins too or are they exclusive?
seems like the prices now on the digital ship add-ons are too high, or the digital versions of lancer and hornet are too low? why would anyone get the add-ons when you can get the digital version which includes another game key and credits?
It’s still $10 cheaper and have less hassle of having to juggle the ships linked to the different game key (you’d have to email them to sort this out), and the game keys would then come with no ships (maybe an Aurora is the default fallback?)
no, the digital hornet and lancer tiers cost the same as the digital hornet and lancer ship add-ons…they are both $110!
Ture…but if you buy ship only you do not get the Alpha and Beta access.
Even when I’m semi-irked about the Bengal’s future, RSI makes me nerdgasm again with these.. I’m a hardcore trader, but the ships that will likely cause me many rage sessions look amazing. The concept artist is my new favorite person.
How about selling the Origin M50 or another really fast ship?
That little ship sounded like pure fun to me!
I will subscribe.
It will become a welcome trophy as I capture it with my constellation
uhu, “Cutlass Package (add-on ship) 11/18/2012 100 (USD) Go Digital Only X”
“…Go Digital Only X”
meaning we get a real one?
))
Gnarr… I want to be a pirate! But I dont have 100$.. :-/ Hate it to be a student without any job and with +1800$ debts per month.. x_x
mh… A pirate like Revy from Black Lagoon. Cutlass.. If you know what I mean!
Wow, this is what I was talking about in the tread that I put “Member Goal initiative”
I am so glad that we get this opportunity to be part of the game.
I am in for Imperator: And this pirate ship would look sweet in my dock
I go to get me one of those.
Great update – and i’m going to subscribe as well!
will it ba able to dock in the constellation ship?
I’m buying a Drake!
So… for Caterpillar we can pledge only until the end of countdown…
But… we can upgrade our pledge to new digital Freelancer tear after the countdown is over???
Will this at all affect the contributions we have made to this point. Such as upon shipping if we have upgraded our citizenship will that be reflected in our “status”?
A MESSAGE TO THE DEVS: Please put the pirate skin on CROWDFUNDING as some of us diehard pledges do not use PAYPAL.
You can also pay by creditcard or Amazon payment.
Digital addon option prompts directly to PayPal.
Where you can pay CC without an Paypal-Account
so wait, is this the caterpillar (armored transport) or cutlass? the specs listed are for the caterpillar, and this ship does not look at all like a “sprawling armored transport”. looks like you skipped the cat transport ship update, or named this wrong, or something…something’s not right! lol
They’re two different ships, which is why they are separated by subscription section in the article.
Ay, that’s a menacing ship! Gives me the creeps looking at it – part dropship, part snapping turtle. Well done.
good, now I got something for my hornet to shoot down
Unfortunately 10 or 20 dollars month is too much for brazilians. Dollar costs more here. Something like the double of the price. Which means that to be just for the brazilians the packages should be $5 or $10.
I disagree. I’m from Brazil too, but development costs are set in dollars, not in reais.
No reason for different/lower prices just because we live in other country (as many of the dedicated fans here do, I’m sure).
Aw, can’t donate, have no money left for donations…
Hope I can add a tractor beam to my RSI Constellatio too.
I’m… in love
Where is the subscription link? Or am I mis-understanding something? I thought they mention to pay for the first month right now as they will implement sequential charge later after the pledge is over. But I do seem to see where they put the link for the first pledge for either Centurion: or Imperator:
Does anyone know if I am missing something?
Go to Star Citizen page, under counter where you made your initial pledge in
“Ship Type” line, hit arrow, select.
Typo: I do NOT see where they PUT THE LINK FOR THE first pledge for either Centurion: or Imperator:
Great look to the ship! I can’t wait to see what the Lancer and Stella look like!
That said, I’ll look forward to blowing up many of these nasty rat ships.
Howdy Spin Doctor,
See Update #32 from Thu 11/15/2012 7:23 PM (Approx)
For the details on the Constellation (And a Downloadable PDF Brochure)
I thinking about subsribing the Centurion but, i have one concern :
“Your name in the game.” Is it a name that we can choose, is it our forum name OR is it our real name ?
If you make a pirate ship like the Captain Harlock’s ship from anime Arcadia my Youth i will buy it in the instant.
I’m amazed by it all. The subscription option is pure win. Just going to have to name my Cutlass “442″… if the option is available.
I see the subscription item in the drop down box now.
I purchased the subscription Imperator: Now for another ship:)
I backed on Kickstarter – How can I add first month subscription to it?
YOu have to do it on the main RSI site. use the drop down box and select the subscription you desire.
Ps, You will the drop down box once you register into the site. iT will be towards the top right.
Almost as good as the Constellation!!!! Except for the upgrade slots and the weight!!! hahah
What if i want to change from Lancer to this?
Can we have the spec for the cutlass
Spec from the Cutlass were posted long ago…
https://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/4-million-new-system-new-ship-new-goals/
oooh .. that cutlass looks very nice – and menacing .
should 2 or 3 of those warp in by my constellation i will be more than a little stressed out.
Will the subscription affect on our pledge? Say, as in when we receive the survey we can use the money we put towards the subscriptions to use in our add-ons for our pledge?
So if you subscribe what ships do you get and does that affect your pledge? Can a subscription be added to your pledge?
I would also like to know this. Does it upgrade our pledge rewards? Cause that would be awesome.
They start off by saying that the subscriptions are being added to aide those of us who can’t drop 250 bones on a ship all at once, however no mention is made at all how it will work or what ships if any you could actually get..
We should also be able to upgrade/change the 125 Dollar wing nut or Lancer pledge to a pirate ship version of the same tier..
That’s how the Cutlass looks like?
I thought Drake made the Kilrathi-like ships (like the asymmetrical one in the trailer).
I hope those will be player-usable.
I like her! Sounds like if she’s alone though without escort she might get into trouble. Probably because of her extra armor making her heavier takes away from maneuverability. So if I catch her alone out in space with my Centurion and having that extra small fighter that Caterpillar is gonna be in some trouble! ;P Still gonna get one though!! Skin too!
Definitely want one of these. I think I’ll wait to be boarded, kill said borders and take their ship. Not worth pledging for when I don’t plan on playing as a pirate, but it would be useful for its “official” purposes as well.
why show us the cutlass but give us specs for the caterpillar………doesn’t help me decide to pick it up or not as a pledge ship. what are the specs for the cutlass
found the specs for the cutlass
http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/4-million-new-system-new-ship-new-goals/
I’m hesitant to start paying a subscription for a game I can’t play yet, but I’m probably going to get the Imperator subscription just for the visit to Cloud Imperium. I’ve just got to convince my wife that taking an L.A. vacation is a good idea.
OK I am bored so here are a few more subscription ideas:
for 50/month you may have dinner with Chris Roberts once a year. (in public without hanky-panky)
For 100/month have dinner with Chris once a year, in public with OPTIONAL hanky-panky (its up to him)
For 1000/month Chris Roberts will be your roommate for a month. Just once per subscription
OK, I will pay the 20$ subscription until the game is finished. But: I do so to support the development. I will NOT pay a subscription for the final game, even if it’s optional. (I’m a little concerned that this is some kind of “Testballoon”…)
btw: @Chris: Please, please, please: Do not put the inevitable item-shop icon into the UI/HUD! For me this annoying and omnipresent button really kills the feeling of immersion in all the actual f2p-games out there…
(Please excuse my bad english, I’m not a native english speaker.)
Yeah let’s not go down the route of EA releasing plot critical DLC on day of release so that you are in fact paying for part of the game and not all of it. We don’t want to have to pay a subscription to get all of the game whether it affects gameplay or not.
WoW this all sounds really really good and the Caterpillar makes me think of changing my professions (or making a second account if possible ^^).
But one thing should be altered:
).
“Jump Point, the monthly digital magazine of Star Citizen. A 4-6 page monthly newsletter which includes updates from the team and new in-universe Star Citizen fiction from the writing team.”
I dont know if i can spend 10$ every month for a game….it is really not that much money, but well, i rather give 40$ again for once or something, because it is not really fitting to my way of live to pay mothly for a game (even if it will be the most-best-awesome-space-multiplayer-game ever seen
But i would really love to have this “Jump Point” digital magazine!
Would be great if “non-subscribers” could get their hands on this. Or maybe something like an abridged quarterly edition…i would pay for that!
…the thing is: i just dont want to miss any new in-universe SC fiction
Regards
I dont need stuff for my support, im definitely subscribing
IF you are serious about the subscription, you should offer the content free for the first month so people can see what they are missing out on (ie the jump point)
Sounds to me like a really nice idea!
Take a look what you get, then decide if its worth!
They also could make a 5$ subscription just for the Jump Point magazine and maybe a little titel or something
About this visits in the Emperor-Subscription: Could you maybe add the German (Frankfurt) office (thought I read something about that) for European subscribers?
Great idea!
YES!!! Please… This seems to be a good reason for a subscription in germany.
Very good idea, BoMbY
+1 from Germany
Great Idea!
lol why would crytek want you bogeys strumming around in their offices ^^
Great! Even the engines scare the heck out of me! Wahaha!
Subscription sounds tempting, but I’d like:
- to know if it’s your real name or your username/nickname that would be used
- to sample a digital version of Jumppoint first, that’s a good idea
- to make sure that an Emperor subscriber can go to an RSI facility in Europe. I’m a Belgian living in the south of the Netherlands at the moment.
Need more conceptional art by the way
Darn, forums are down, maye someone can help me on this. I´d like to add the Cutlass ship to my pledge, I´d like to obtain the title “Pirate” with it as well. Will the title be included in “The Pirate Pack” also? If not, how would this work, adding “Avast Matey” to my account, without colliding with my existing “Wingnut” Pledge, incl. the physical Citizen Card? Does anyone know?
If we subscribe, do we get funding credit in advance ($20.00 per month funds $240.00 toward the $5.5 Million target)?
Eve Online also has a magazine called E-On, published every three months it is a journal read by thousands and sent to over 80 countries all around the world.
Another subscription but then to this Star Citizen’s magazine is very tempting
I backed on kickstarter and now I backed more stuff here….how do I “link” the two accounts? I only found out about this website after I already got some stuff on kickstarter!
Can there be a place that you just pay the 240 dollars for 1 year all up front , I do not like like having to worry about 20 dollars a month? Thank you.
You don’t need a suscription to play. It has nothing to do with the “game”, it’s about supporting the devs.
I wish I could find an image of the Catapillar, but the Cutlass definately looks cool, although this and the constellation are worth the same, so I am trying to decide which one I should get
I cant deside either. the constellation or the catarpillar.. help me deside x)
The picture above is cutlass or catepillar? Ty
OK, simple question, and I have not seen it fully asked or answered… Here it is: If I subscribe, will my monthly sub add up and be tally’d onto my total contributed? Of which I would be eligible for the relevant package? EXAMPLE: I subscribe today for $20/month under the “Imperator” sub. Seven months later I am billed for my 7th time making my total contributed $140. The “Colonel” package is one of the packages listed at the $140 mark. Does this mean I now have the Colonel package and all relevant privileges/rights/titles/etc? Will additional months of subscriptions continue increasing my pledge rank?
Looks pretty awesome!
Sucks that you have a subscriber-exclusive cataloge, please make it available to the general public. I would really like access but I already pledged $250, I simply can’t really afford to give anything more (to become a subscriber) than what I have already given to this wonderful game.
Are these skins and decals one time use until the ship is destroyed? Or do we get to keep them forever? Are they tradeable, or bound to your account? IS the ship something we get to keep forever, or will it disappear forever is destroyed? I am seriously considering the $20/month package.
I have just started my Imperator subscription. I plan to sub tell the game launch in nov next year. Can I still get the Jump Point: Year One?
is there any way to pay subscription without credit card? all options (paypal, amazon) end in paying with credit card.
2 x Class 4: Equipped 2x Behring M5A Laser Cannon (turret), 1x L-Sys Mark III Tractor Beam
I’m seeing this on quite a few of your ship descriptions. If there are 2 class 4 spots available, how can you equip 2 Laser Cannon turrets AND 1 Tractor beam?
2 =/= 3, please explain.
you should really make a flat payment option i would pay 50$ or more to support this great game but i cant dish out cash monthly any one feel the same way