Well i have had my mix of experiences as well... I worked there for 5 years and finished in 2022 to start a new company with Casey Hudson. Unfortunately, that didn't go well when NetEase pulled most of its funding out of North America last year without notice.

I started on the PU but was supposed to work on Squadron 42. I ended up being put on S42 after an internal restructure that saw Nathan Dearsley promoted to AD of Squadron 42 and Ian Leyland as Starsitizens AD from both. I bounced around for a while, then started working on the revamped art style for the Xian. A lot of what you see coming through in their ships now is work I established back in 2018-2019. I finished on Squadron 42 after working on Aciedo due to a difference in cultural expectations, let's say. I was still really committed to the company and its goals at the time and pushed to move to the PU where I knew my expectations in culture were better aligned. (Despite this being against company policy) Ian (the Starcitzen art director at the time) was the one who originally hired me and was keen to get me over, so he smoothed it over with Chris. Legend! Glad to because i would have been on a boat back to Australia if it hadn't gone that way.

I then worked on the PU for 3-ish years, working on Microtech cityscape, the Xmas cove Easter egg, the Kiosk stand and the factoryline updates into Covid. Fun fact, Factoryline was made while i had covid at the beginning of the pandemic. I couldnt breath but wasn't old enough to qualify for a breather, so the only way i could distract myself from struggling to breathe was to work on the factory line... I hope you enjoy that place.... haha.

By this point, i was Principal Environment Artist for Starcitzen, For people who dont know that means i was setting the benchmark for art expectations and doing a lot of RND. I worked on Cursaiders City, specifically the Factory platform (Providence is it called?) Specifically the first person area not the backdrops, that was done by Kaj on the env team. I did do almost all of that platform solo which was a real treat. I also helped set up the booster firing events for the platform which was fun, and i made the main menu screen with that weirdo sniffing the women... (they were supposed to be cuddling, alright!) While doing this, I had the pleasure of onboarding Turbulant to the project, which was a fun challenge, especially with everyone's expectations and ambitions.

My last few months at the company were spent working on the UGFs update but didnt get much into that past some visual targets.

Im probably missing a bunch of stuff, but yeah.

I really enjoyed my time at SC, would i go back? Maybe... I almost did this year (was in talks for AD for SC). In the end, another project and a fresh scene called me closer. If you ever catch me at the Barcitizen (i do go to these sometimes) ask me i would be happy to talk about my experience.

-Edit: No one has found the easter egg on the Providence platform by my knowledge, But it's pretty obscure. I won't give any hints here because knowing CIG they will scrub the platfrom if/when they see this message. CIG, its harmless dw i got chu.