Pilots, prepare for one of the largest updates yet as Star Citizen – Alpha 3.9: Locked Up & Loaded brings with it some massive new features to its universe with new adventures, consequences, and new elements to bring players deeper into the universe.
Fans of Star Citizen have a lot to look forward to in the brand-new Alpha 3.9 updated titled “Locked Up & Loaded”. The new update brings with it some new gameplay systems, missions, locations, as well as an ever-expanding universe for pilots to explore. The insanely-detailed game brings with it a new criminal and bounty missions, Klescher Prison System, Esperia Prowler ship, an all-new unified friendslist, a streamlined weapon attachment UI, and some general quality of life improvements to the game.
These updates include in general features like the ones mentioned above, but also some critical details based on player feedback. These include small things such as new gameplay additions, technology enhancements, and simple bug squishing that could impede upon one’s overall experience. To see a full rundown of the list of changes, you should refer to the official patch notes to learn more about today’s update.
“Our universe continues to evolve and grow, and through the release of Alpha 3.9: Locked Up and Loaded, our players will have the ability to experience more socially driven adventures fueled by exciting new gameplay additions and technology enhancements,” said Cloud Imperium Games CEO and Star Citizen creative director Chris Roberts. “Today’s launch is part of our continued commitment to deliver notable updates on a consistent basis that greatly improve the overall experience in Star Citizen, and we continue to be humbled by the overwhelming support from our active players and community who contribute in making Star Citizen a success.”
The major features in today’s update focus on group play, making it so that a Unified Friends List is now available so that pilots can contact one another, squad up, and even perform missions in an easier fashion than before. It’s a perfect time to also explore the new criminal and bounties mission list together.
Let’s just play it safe though, if you are one that likes to be a bit of a space pirate, things may not work in your favor as actions do come with consequences. If you are out and down on your luck, getting incapacitated by security forces or bounty hunters looking to take you out for your deeds, you’ll find yourself serving hard time in prison. You can plan for a daring escape or serve your time doing manual labor, the choice is up to you.
But, if you are one that manages to get out, you can always check out the new Babbage Landing Zone and trading hub, which is located on microTech and home to the company’s flagship store. Don’t forget to check out the new features including an extensive transit system that connects every major hub. You can also go out and check out the new open spaces that are protected by protective drops to shield pilots and citizens of the planet from its freezing climate.
You can check out some of the updates other major features down below:
- New Mission – The Price of Freedom: In an all-new mission, some unlucky outlaws have been captured and are catching a ride on a prison transport. Players have been hired to board the ship, fight their way past security, wake these unfortunate individuals from cryosleep, and if possible, eliminate the turncoat who got them captured in the first place.
- New Ship – Esperia Prowler: The Prowler is a near-perfect recreation of the infamous dropship that battled UEE forces throughout the Tevarin Wars. Elegant, advanced, and effective, it embodies the unique Tevarin approach to warfare and organic vehicle design. The Prowler is the first Tevarin-derived ship ever offered on the Human market. Find out more about the Esperia Prowler here.
- New Player Status System: Player immersion reaches new levels, as blizzards and snowstorms are now more than just a visual effect. “Weather locomotion” now provides wind force resistance to player characters and ships in the atmosphere. In addition to monitoring temperature, the new player status system also measures hunger and thirst. Eat and hydrate to stave off starvation and thirst while taking advantage of specially designed suits to maintain an ideal body temperature in harsh environments.
- New Weapon Attachment UI Feature: Ground combat sees major improvements as players can now make adjustments to weapon attachments on the fly without having to navigate through inventory menu systems. Make quick changes to scopes and attachments on the go and stay in the action.
If you already play, you can also take advantage of that with the new limited-time referral system that will allow you to refer a friend to play the game, starting from now until May 11th, 2020, which will allow you to enlist a friend and earn a free Greycat PTV Buggy for the both of you all to use. You’ll want to check out the refer-a-friend page for more information.
If you haven’t already given it a try, you won’t be disappointed by what Star Citizen has to offer with boundless hours of gameplay content to enjoy, exploring to be had, and even maybe finding a home on one of the procedurally generated planets to enjoy.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native video game reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook where he interacts with his followers quite a bit!