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Cloud Imperium Games have today released a brand new “Letter from the Chairman” article in response to the collective community of over 600,000 “Star Citizens” pledging over $54,000,000 dollars towards upcoming space-fairing game Star Citizen. The letter details many things including a new look (the trailer above) at the work from studio Foundary 42 who have been working on the Retaliator (A heavy, multi-crew bomber that they claim will “play like nothing you’ve seen in a space sim before”) and what the community have unlocked by surpassing the $54 Million pledge mark.
In new news, the company have confirmed that the winner of the $55 Million “Ship Upgrade” Reward Poll was:
Ballistic Gatling – Preacher Armament Inquisition XXII: Preacher’s Inquisition XXII is the weapon to turn to when you want complete target saturation. Its dual-ammo feed allows you to hotswap feeds without exiting your ship, giving every owner the ultimate flexibility to pick the ammo based on the situation.
This means that everyone who backs the game prior to hitting the $55 Million Stretch Goal mark will receive one of these to equip your ship with. They are also looking at doing something similar for the $56 Million stretch goal – removing the least popular option from the survey and introduced three others. Each of these new upgrades corresponds to a specific Arena-ready hull type… so you can choose based on the component or the ship. Details on all the options, including the three new ones, are available below:
Ballistic Cannon: A&R PyroBolt C1: With the introduction of the PyroBolt C1, A&R provides another worthy addition to their historical line of products. The PyroBolt is a 15mm ballistic cannon capable of delivering a variety of ammo types with a moderate rate of fire and maximum accuracy.
Laser Repeater: Verified Offworld Laser Technologies Firestorm: You can run, but you can’t hide from a FIRESTORM. VOLT’s new laser repeater is a cost-effective addition to your offensive arsenal, capable of delivering a baseline six rounds-per-second that make it comparable to its ballistic counterparts and without the worry of running out of ammo.
Neutron Cannon: ProPOW Kill-O-Blast 3000 Pro: POW does it again! The Kill-O-Blast 3000 is their latest middle-of-the-road solution capable of providing massive stopping power per shot. The Kill-O-Blast 3000 may be the first neutron cannon you buy, but it might be the last you’ll ever need!
Missiles: Spearfish ASIM-09/eN7 Arrestor: Spearfish’s line of Arrestor missiles are tried and true hunters. Top-of-the-line Infrared sensors combine with their proprietary VK9 processing software to minimize lock-loss and deliver a devastating EMP payload every time.
Power Plant: Ace Astrogation FusionPro 3H: Optimized for medium-sized spacecraft, the 3H from Ace Astrogation boasts high durability and performance under fire while maintaining a robust energy output.
Shield Generator: RAMP Corporation ProTec Twin Standard: The ProSec Twin Standard is a binary-segment shield generator, each offering front or rear placement to more effectively direct your defensive measures. The ProSec also features a lower EM signature, for those times where you don’t want to fight at all.
Cooling: J-Span Cryo-Star: Award-winning designers at J-Span have produced one of the most advanced cooling systems yet. The Cryo-Star utilizes a new kind of liquid cooling technology guaranteed to keep your engines cool without sacrificing power.
Engine – Dragon Stellar STC Silver (300 Series): The STC Silver from Dragon Stellar Transit Company is a TR4 engine noted for its high thrust output and low EM emissions. It has been rumored that Dragon Stellar has been using inferior components, but for some pilots the decreased power and fuel efficiency is worth the extra boost, especially at this price point.
Power Plant – Broad & Rabiee Quietech M120 (Hornet): The largest class in the M series, Quietech M120 from Broad & Rabiee is a dynamic Superfluid Quantum Vortex power plant system that is capable of handling all your ship’s energy needs with a minimum of emissions. Ideally constructed for anyone who’s looking not looking to make an impression while travelling through a system.
Jump Drive – Tarsus Leaper Jump Engine (Aurora): The first step to the universe beyond. The Leaper Jump Engine from Tarsus connects with your onboard NavDrive to allow your ship to access jump points. The Leaper also includes an introductory scanning software package to try your hand at discovering the undiscovered.
The winning selection out of these ten will be given away to all donors at the $56 Million stretch goal target.
As of this post, $54,090,459 has been raised between 604,232 individuals. Pledge packages begin at just $45 USD for the Arena Commander Starter Pack which includes Beta Access, the final releases of Squadron 42 and Star Citizen at (likely) below retail cost, some starting money, 3 months insurance and an RSI Aurora MR. Do note that even if you choose to get a lower priced package at the beginning, most ships will be available in-game once Star Citizen officially launches in 2015/2016.
