Star Citizen will not require a subscription not be free-to-play, it will will be available for a one-time purchase. And while players will be able to play in the Star Citizen universe for free, there will also be virtual items available for purchase with in-game credits so players can customize their ships and other items.

While the Kickstarter campaign ended late 2012, Chris Roberts' Cloud Imperium has kept on racking in donations through its official website and in the months since the end of the Kickstarter has added an additional $56 million, for a total of more than $58 million in funding.

Greetings Citizens,

THANK YOU. Over the weekend, we hit both the $57 and the $58 million crowd funding marks, an incredible achievement in itself and one that means we can continue to support and expand Star Citizen. I’m grateful for a lot more than just your backing Star Citizen. Getting to spend Friday at CitizenCon with backers was an amazing experience, and one that confirms that what we are doing here is special in more way than one. It’s hard work to set up these events… but more than worth it for the chance to talk face to face with people that are just as excited about the game and universe as we are on the Star Citizen team. I hope you enjoyed hearing from the various studios and getting your first look at the detail we intend to infuse the persistent universe with. As I said in the presentation: we’re just getting started!

Eagle-eyed backers have noticed a shot of the Gladius in the Hangar during our presentation on Friday. That shot is actually part of a short video put together by Foundry 42 to keep the rest of the team updated on the status of their ships, which include the Avenger, Gladius, Gladiator and Retaliator. In honor of hitting two stretch goals in one weekends, I’d like to share that video with the world. The military ships aren’t quite done yet (there’s still animations, damage stats, sound effects, internal details and the like) but I think they’re looking great. See what you think!

We’ve also just put online a stereoscopic 3D version of the Cutlass commercial. It’s our first 3D commercial, and I think it’s pretty cool. You can check it out for yourself here.

At $57 we hit the first of the Wave Four ship unlocks, the recently-elected Endeavor-class Research Platform! Here’s the initial design description:

• MISC Endeavor-class Research Platform – The MISC Endeavor is the company’s most prestigious ship: a dedicated research platform capable of carrying a dozen different space science packages, running the gamut from advanced long-range scanners for jump point identification to additional shielding for near-stellar corona research. Externally, the Endeavor is dotted with sensor hardpoints; internally, the main compartment is centered on a large research laboratory which can be configured for use by a wide range of scientific disciplines. The Endeavor’s main compartment is modular, allowing an alternate configuration as a Hope-class floating hospital. This variant is employed by the UEE and other organizations as battlefield support, capable of getting Marines and pilots back to the battle as quickly as possible! When outfitted as a hospital, the Endeavor’s docking bay is capable of maintaining a single Cutlass Red ambulance. The Endeavor has also found its way into the service of less reputable organizations, where it can has been modified for everything from narcotics production to black market surgery.

Since we reached two stretch goals so quickly, we did not have time for an additional ship poll. Instead of picking the two highest from the previous poll, I’m going to go ahead and announce the last winner as the $59 million stretch goal ship and start the poll for $60 million with the remaining options. I’m a fan of seeing the community debate these things, and as the pool of options decreases it’s great to see backers “campaigning” for their favorite option. Have at it!

We aren’t forgetting $58 million, though. In honor of the goal, we’re giving 10,000 UEC to every backer that you can use for upgrades and flair in the Voyager Direct Store. I’d advise you hold on to the creds: we’re going to have some cool configurable weapons and other upgrades for Arena Commander in the near future! 10,000 UEC may not seem like a lot, but at this stage in the game it actually means we’re giving our backers several million dollars to outfit their ships!

Here’s the next ship winner, which you decided would be the repair platform:

• Anvil Aerospace Crucible – A so-called “flying toolbox,” the Crucible is the ship you want on your side when you suffer an asteroid collision or survive a pirate attack! Structurally, the Crucible consists of a cockpit, drive unit and workshop. The Crucible’s workshop is versatile: it can be used as a base for conducting EVA repairs (complete with requisite tool storage) or it can use magnetic grapplers to attach directly to a ship hull. In this situation, the workshop actually opens to space and allows a repair crew direct access to a damaged ship. The workshop can either maintain artificial gravity or allow for zero-g repair operations, depending on the needs of the mission. The Crucible’s cockpit is also outfitted with an array of repair tools, including dual purpose mounts that can exchange weapons for tractor beams and remote manipulator arms. The Crucible is also part of a larger planned repair system. For larger project, independent sections of support struts and drive units, called the Miller ERS (External Repair Structure), can be locked together to form a sort of scaffolding around a damaged starship, the next best thing to an orbital drydock. A standard ERS unit includes a small drive, thrusters, magnetic attach points and modular hardpoints for mounting tractor beams, repair tools or weapons. ERS segments each have a code defining their shape (P1 = Straight section, P2= Left turn, P3 = Right turn, etc.) with the multiple layouts allowing extensive zero-gravity construction as necessary. In the case of damaged capital ships, like the Navy’s Bengal carriers, hundreds of ERS units might be formed into a latticework serviced by a dozen or more Crucibles.

The Crucible should be another great beyond-combat ship that will help expand the roles available in Star Citizen’s persistent universe. Now, go vote for the next one… and convince everyone else on the forums that they should, too!

Again, thank you for the support. Thanks to the incredible response you gave us at CitizenCon, the entire team is charged up and ready to show you what else we can do. It’s going to be good!

— Chris Roberts

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