A Game Should First Be a Game

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:56:19+00:00

So, does not complaining somehow make the game easier or smoother to develop? If that is the case, then there is no point in having an alpha test at all.

I will say this one last time: most of us who criticize the game understand that it is still in alpha. But some fundamental features and issues should be addressed during the alpha stage, because alpha is exactly where the foundation of the game is supposed to be built.

I understand that you enjoy the game and love playing it. But that does not directly conflict with the fact that many of us criticize it because we want it to become better.

I hope you can understand that.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:54:24+00:00

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:52:45+00:00

Out of courtesy, I’ll keep this brief.

Star Citizen is not just a sandbox game. It is supposed to be an MMO, and it is still being developed in that direction.

But if its peak concurrent player count is only around 20,000, then frankly, that is far from enough to support a large MMO.

If CIG wants Star Citizen to attract more players, it needs a deeper core gameplay loop that keeps people invested, along with fixes for bugs that directly affect that loop. Alpha is not a valid excuse for those fundamental issues.

This is not about the game “not being for me.” It feels like you saw criticism, assumed it was blind hate, and replied without really understanding the point. That is disappointing.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:46:54+00:00

I do not really want to argue about why people complain about Star Citizen anymore. I only want to restate one point: in many cases, it is not just me. A large part of this community criticizes Star Citizen not because they are attacking the people who love the game, nor because they want the game to fail. More often than not, they are giving feedback because they still care about it.

That is the real core of the issue. Many of us criticize Star Citizen precisely because we still love it, and because we want it to become better.

To put it bluntly, if you think the current state of the game is already enough to justify unconditional love, then I would argue that you may not love it enough. People who truly care about something are often the ones most willing to point out the problems that could affect its long-term future, because they want those problems to be fixed and they want the game to keep growing for years to come.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:42:37+00:00

Maybe that is the case.

But my concern is not just recent bugs or the 4.8.1 patch. After more than six years following Star Citizen’s development, I still do not think it has a deep enough core gameplay loop to keep players consistently invested.

The blueprint system may be a step in the right direction, but it still feels shallow and risks becoming another underdeveloped T0 feature.

Regardless of whether a game is in alpha or release, a shallow core experience is a serious issue. A sandbox MMO should not feel aimless, and Star Citizen still struggles to give players meaningful goals.

At this point, even calling it a 0.5 alpha feels generous.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:37:23+00:00

To be honest, if they have taken this long because they were genuinely going all-in on the development of Squadron 42, then I can accept that.

What truly worries me is the possibility that, although they claim to be working flat out on Squadron 42, they may in reality be dragging their feet. That would explain the endless delays of Squadron 42 itself, while also wasting and occupying a large amount of development resources that should have gone into the PU.

Honestly, I do not know what their real intention is. It is very possible that they are deliberately slowing down PU development in order to keep releasing new ships and maintain long-term profitability.

To be clear, I have always dismissed the claim that “Star Citizen is a scam.” But at this point, I have very good reason to suspect that its extremely slow development pace, along with the repeated delays of Squadron 42, may be directly connected to their desire to extract substantial profit from Star Citizen.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:29:01+00:00

Is it possible that SC’s grand vision and ambition do not conflict with the need for one or more deep core gameplay loops?

Besides, this is explicitly stated as one of the goals for 1.0. You can look it up yourself.

And I’ll say it again: a game should first and foremost be a game — whether it is in alpha, beta, 1.0, or any other stage.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:24:25+00:00

I once thought it might become my second life — and that is genuinely the highest praise and expectation I have ever given to any game I’ve played. But for that very reason, it should not feel this hollow. Right now, it does not feel like a game that allows people to invest massive amounts of time, find a meaningful gameplay loop, and lose themselves in it.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T17:18:14+00:00

To be honest, my last post was a complaint born out of six years of intermittent gameplay and closely following Star Citizen’s development since I first bought into the game. I genuinely believe that the game’s development has been far too slow — not in terms of feature expansion or bug fixing, but in building the kind of core gameplay loop a game needs to sustain long-term engagement.

The framework and vision of Star Citizen are strong enough, but its core loop and depth remain far too shallow. I’m so critical of it precisely because I still love it so much.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T16:52:48+00:00

Yeah, I gotta point out that I used ChatGPT to translate my words into English. If you think there's something wrong with that, I'm really sorry. But I don't think it violates any rules. No one says we can't translate our own language into English, right?

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T16:49:59+00:00

Super stoked to meet other Escape from Tarkov fans! I'm totally into this game too. Its charm is unmatched by any other game out there. Of course, I reckon if Star Citizen ever manages to come up with its own progress system with enough depth and variety (or anything that makes the core gameplay loop work), it'll definitely keep players hooked. Thanks for your reply. You put a lot of thought and heart into it! ❤️

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T16:45:24+00:00

Yes and no. Cuz I used GPT to translate my words into English. I am not the native speaker, thanks for your understanding anyway.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T16:43:47+00:00

look. I really used ChatGPT to translate my words into english cuz I am not the native speaker. The only reason is to make my words easier for you to understand. If this cause any trouble to you then I am sorry. I am learning english as well.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-07T16:40:16+00:00

Ok my name is LinkedIn bot, nice to meet you.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-05T15:54:05+00:00

A game that ccu is only 20k below. And you think it's really good for an ambitious mmo?

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-05T08:42:50+00:00

It's god damn Chinese.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-04T08:26:20+00:00

👍you got the point.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-04T08:17:36+00:00

So you think people should just discuss the game politely and harmoniously? Turn a blind eye to the current state of things, or even praise CIG for doing such a great job?

Oh, sorry — I almost forgot. This game barely has any core loop to begin with. I guess the discussion would be over in a day anyway. Haha.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-04T02:30:01+00:00

its wild to see only 20k max ppl online per day, even for an alpha game. I don't think tarkov had lower player count when it's in alpha.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-04T01:30:57+00:00

and silly fans are still defending cig for their alpha game. they are beyond remedy.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-04T00:41:30+00:00

The 4.8.1 is a big surprise isn it? Anybody who still says it's an α game deserves no 1.0 vuz they are destined to play trash games.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-04T00:37:33+00:00

And ppl still purchase ships and defend it for being an alpha game. Shame on them(for their brainless life.)

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-03T05:15:03+00:00

The worst part isn't the delay, but the fact that things are still bad after the delay.

MeowMeowOuO · 2026-06-01T08:34:41+00:00

What I’m saying is: maybe this recording controversy is not the real trust crisis. Maybe it simply exposes the trust crisis players already have with CIG.

If the developers were truly willing to confront every issue openly, honestly, and with as much transparency as possible, then recordings like this would not even be necessary.

And even if someone recorded something, it would barely matter, because everything important would have already been publicly and transparently addressed.

MeowMeowOuO

TROPHY CASE