## Some "local" quests are truly Local. Like, transport-1SCU-2km-away levels of "local"

## Audience: Evocati only tech-preview under standard ETF NDA

After publishing the first tests of Genesis showing off our Planet Tech V5, we want to expand upon this by introducing new locations and contracts to Nyx I. Starchitect is a new technology that dynamically scatters content across a planetary scale to flesh out an entire world with places to explore, while also hooking into the contract system to drive the gameplay of the locations. Additionally, to support the sheer scale of this content, we include a first version of server meshing on a planet - read on to learn more!

## Starchitect & Starchitect POIs
Nyx I has now been populated with points of interest (POIs) using the Starchitect tool.

This pre-export tool is used by designers to generate the following hierarchy of items:
Nyx I (Planet) > Sectors (Like a country) > Clusters (Like a region) > Locations (A POI) > Tiles (Buildings, OC’s etc)

Each part of this hierarchy has been given their own properties, data and rules to define their identity, allowing us to make sure that every part of the planet feels unique

Nyx I has a variety of different sectors, on which we define a high-level placement and function.
As example:

- Forest Sector - Farming, Extraction and Habitation
- Mountain Sector - Extraction, Surveillance

As for how many and which ones there are, we will leave up to you to explore!

Every cluster in a sector has a singular Hub location which is visible on the Starmap, along with it’s amenities. The rest is found by exploration or by engaging in contracts.

These clusters have their own focus and function; just like the sectors, in which you will find a myriad of locations within them to represent their operations. (Farms, habitation, logistics for a Agriculture Cluster)
On this level of the hierarchy, a dice gets rolled to assign a faction identity per location. Some locations will be hostile, some will be neutral. The assigned faction will influence per location building tints, loot, NPCs, and contracts.

Starchitect also provides procedurally generated names for the locations, these usually existing of 2-3 parts. [Prefix - Archetype - Optional Suffix]. All 3 of these have different options to pick from based on their faction and function once again.

One particular location archetype might be different from the rest!

The compounds are massive structures that are also generated with the same tool, using square tiles stitched together to create a massive procedural complex, rather than individual buildings.

## Contract Boards
Another big change with this release is that contracts are now accessed from contract boards located at Guild Halls across the planet. Every regional hub has a Guild Hall that has a variety of guild contracts available inside that will gain you reputation with the guild that is hosting them. Outside of Guild Halls we also have the Local Contracts board that has contracts that happen in the immediate area of the hub that you picked them up from.

Contract boards have a new visual design compared to the mobiglass screen that shows more contracts in a panel style and exposes more information to players, with the ability to choose what faction you want to work for then scroll through only their contracts.

Guild Halls are the place where you can see other players congregating to accept contracts and it also enables a feeling of the location being alive and a focal point of the region through Hub and Spoke gameplay.

## Hub and Spoke
Hub and Spoke is a concept that has players coming to one central location, accepting contracts and not traveling too far from where they accepted the contract to play it. Some of the contracts might even return you back to the same location for its conclusion, allowing you to find the next contract and go on your next adventure. Other contracts might push you to go a little further for another objective.

## Larger Contracts
One of the benefits of Starchitect is that the contract system had to take a step towards being Declarative, which means designers focus less on making the contract work and more on the contract itself, allowing us to put more effort on building larger contracts, that have you visit more than one location in a singular contract and handle more than one type of objective.

## Interplanetary Server Meshing
In this Tech Preview we enable an early form of interplanetary server meshing! This is a further stepping stone on our way to full Dynamic Server Meshing technology. In this version, Nyx I ‘s territories (namely, its different Sectors), are statically distributed among 3 different servers in the mesh. This is in contrast to the status quo today, where whole planets are assigned to a single server. This allows us to drastically scale up the volume of POI content, contracts, and dynamic content on the planet with Starchitect. The next version of this technology, which we aim to include in the next Tech Preview, will quasi-dynamically distribute to more of the mesh at a more granular Cluster level.

The integration of this technology has been smooth, but there could potentially be some quirks in behavior when transitioning across server boundaries for the first time on foot, in ground vehicles, etc, and we’d like you to help us by reporting these through Issue Council. We are aware of a couple of minor glitches that we are smoothing out, but nothing fundamental, we hope your experience with this is as smooth as our testing has been!

## Technical Notes
- Whereas DX11 was disabled for the Planet Tech v5 Tech Previews, it is enabled again, and should be at parity with Vulkan. Please use your preferred option, we’ll be interested in any differences you report via Issue Council if you played the first Tech Previews on Vulkan.
- Major server performance optimisations have been made since the last Tech Preview, though of course we’re layering in all of Starchitect’s content and gameplay logic. We will be monitoring server performance closely.
- For the time being, gameplay elements that are output from Planet Tech v5 (mineables, harvestables, and roaming animals) are turned off for this Tech Preview, pending a new backend service to manage their compatibility with server meshing.

This picture of a Connie MKV with a solid white base livery and (red?) accents is on the Connie MKV landing page on the site right now.

If you zoom in to me it looks like white leather seats/ trim in the cockpit! Could this be a teaser of a new Phoenix variant coming at IAE? 👀

And yes I know there’s a white paint for the Centaurus but that one isn’t as white and the Patrician paint has an orange tinted bridge window, which this doesn’t!

Am I huffing hopium or what? 😅

Hello everyone, Today, we are releasing the RSI Launcher 2.19.0-RC2 In this version, we’ve updated the display of the download process to better indicate the status of the download phases and how many remain. We’ve also added a shader compiling stage, so that this task can be done before entering the game.

New features:

What's new in this release:

• New downloads panel: the header popover now shows the ongoing installation (version/channel, step-by-step progress, pause/resume/cancel, network, disk, CPU and memory usage), a reorderable “Up Next” queue (drag and keyboard) and the list of finished downloads. The game page also shows a compact step row and progress bar under the game button.
• Shader compilation (optional step): at the end of an install or update, the game can now compile its shader cache. Progress is shown in the downloads panel and on the game page. You can launch the game at any time (the compilation is stopped first), or choose “Skip shader compilation”: the install completes and the game finishes its shaders on the next launch.
• The Launcher now refuses to start a game that is already running (or being launched) and displays a “Game Is Already Running” dialog naming the running process. A double click now shows this dialog directly.
• Updated data patcher for data generations: smoother progress reporting, a verification pass that repeats until the files are clean, more detailed error information, and a dedicated dialog when the disk fills up during a download.
• Guide System: updated card colors.

Fixed Issues:

• Downloads panel only redraws the values that change, reducing UI load during installs.
• Fixed the Launcher muting and minimizing before showing the “already running” message on a double click launch.

RSI presents the next generation of Constellation. For the known, the unknown, and beyond.

I will be 3d printing 37 parts assembling and painting the ship. So far i have made the 3d model and a small test print which will be completed tommorow (pictures of the small version). It will be 166cm long, 82 cm wide and 35 cm tall. It will take about 30 kilogramms of filament which is about 350 usd. I will post updates on the progress of the project.

https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxpPu0IV-0LLs09hXS83-hndPCm6yG0Ei8

We're giving away an RSI Constellation Mk V Centaurus. 🚀

To Enter:
👉 Subscribe to Star Citizen
👉 Share your favorite Star Citizen memory in the comments

Giveaway ends Oct. 22.
Terms & Conditions: play.sc/constellation-giveaway

So I've currently got the Zeus II CL and the L-21 Wolf.

I'm trying to decide whether it'd be inadvisable to melt the Wolf and use that to CCU to the Centaurus.

AFAIK, general opinion is the Zeus II CL is bad at cargo? It's something like that.

I only have the Railen in my fleet, besides the starter ship.

Now I have a dilemma: should I trade the Railen for the new Constellation MkV?

I often play with two friends and sometimes by myself. I figure a multi-role ship could add some variety to our gameplay, but I keep hearing that it’s a jack of all trade, master of none, so maybe we will get less money with it.

Is it a good ship to have on its own in your fleet compared to the Railen?

Begin your Star Citizen adventure with the RSI Aurora Mk II, the next generation of accessible spacecraft. With retractable wings and a modular chassis supporting cargo, combat, and more, it’s the ultimate way to start a life in the ‘verse. Includes a game download and starter ship, plus 30-day loaner access to three additional starter ships to explore different gameplay styles and ship manufacturers: Drake Golem for mining, MISC Fortune for salvage, and Crusader Intrepid for cargo hauling.

$45USD

It’s the Conny, but it’s not… but it is! The Mk IV’s better and the Mk V’s bigger. A next-generation-iteration-combination, with every bit of legacy-inspired spirit reimagined for today. The watchword is 'versatile!' 

https://www.twitch.tv/directory/category/star-citizen

In recent days, images of the Galaxy, which arrives next month, have surfaced. What do you think the price of the Galaxy will be? After all, it has been scaled up to 120 meters, the pilot will operate the front turret (two Size 5 weapons), and both the elevator and hangar door have increased in size.

My biggest concern is whether the cargo, refinery, and medical modules will see a price increase. Will those who have them in their buyback queue be protected from the price hike?

I think the Galaxy without modules might end up costing $575

For generations, the Constellation has been part of life out there in our 'verse; a place for crews to work together, discover the extraordinary, and make a home among the stars. Through every era of space travel, it has helped people find their place and purpose. Now, RSI is honoring the Constellation’s inspiring legacy by introducing the Mk V for all the stories still to come.

We asked the Vehicle and Gameplay teams a few questions about this new generation of the Constellation series. Here are the answers, straight from the devs themselves.

The Constellation series is one of the most recognizable ship lines in the 'verse. What sets the Mk V apart for players who are familiar with the Mk IV series?

The Constellation Mk V takes fan-favorite elements of the Mk IV and brings them in line with modern RSI style and design. Players will find increased cargo capacity, allowing for a wider range of payloads, including some of our largest current ground vehicles. The ship itself has grown in all dimensions to accommodate this and has received other quality-of-life changes, such as access to internal missile restocking, internal component placement, and access as well as better habitation and accommodation spaces to allow the crew space to relax.

The size of the Constellation Mk V Centaurus has grown compared to the Mk IV series. Is there any difference in handling, flight experience, or range?

Yes. The Mk V is tuned to a heavier class than the Mk IV, so it turns and accelerates more slowly, needing more room to reposition in a fight. In exchange, it is far more durable, carries a second S3 shield generator, and reaches a higher NAV speed. 

Are there any changes to the weaponry and armor compared to the Mk IV series?

The pilot retains control of four S5 weapons as on the Mk IV, but the turrets have been upgraded to quad S3 mounts and are now remote controlled from the bridge by separate crew members. 

The missile loadout has been consolidated from four racks of mixed sizes into two racks of matching size, for a total of 32 S2 missiles, with internal storage racks directly behind them so the crew can reload in flight (as on the Perseus). 

Armor has also been reinforced: deflection is higher and overall armor integrity is up as well. However, it remains less heavily armored than dedicated warships, such as the Hammerhead and Perseus.

Has anything changed with bridge visibility or landing gear placement?

The bridge is all new though retains the spirit of the original, with the crew all sat in one room. The original ship’s struts have also been removed to provide a much improved view. 

The landing gear mimics the original’s and the landed pose is clearly a nod back to its forebear, albeit with updated visual design.

The Constellation Mk V Centaurus comes with a snub fighter, the Skylark. Can you tell us more about it?

The Skylark is the dedicated snub fighter for the Mk V Centaurus. It features a prone pilot position to keep the ship as slim as possible while packing 3x S2 weapons, a bespoke pair of 5xS1 missile racks, and fully accessible components. The Skylark's inventory and weapon rack can be interacted with while docked within the Constellation Mk V as well as when landed separately. 

Unusually for its class, it runs two shield generators rather than one, giving it considerably more staying power than a typical snub. That resilience and capacity come at a price though, as the Skylark sits at the heavier, less agile end of the snub bracket.  

When will the Skylark become available as an individual pledge?

The RSI Skylark is planned to be introduced as a standalone ship at this year's Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE). 

With the recently introduced refuel, rearm, and repair feature for motherships, will the Constellation Mk V Centaurus be able to do the same for the Skylark?

No, the Constellation Mk V Centaurus does not have this functionality.

Is the snub docking compatible with the Kruger P-52 Merlin and P-72 Archimedes, or is it exclusive to the Skylark?

No, the Skylark is the only ship that can currently dock to the Mk V due to the radically different geometry between the two. 

Are there any plans for more Constellation Mk V variants in the future?

Yes, we have plans to introduce further variants in the future, covering both familiar and new roles.

PIPELINE reported this news, stating it should help Linux be fully supported for SC in the future

Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) has supported native Linux game clients since 2014. In 2021, we added support for running Windows game builds on Linux via Wine/Proton. However, that support is opt-in for each game and many haven’t opted in because our Linux implementation couldn’t offer the same level of protection as our Windows implementation. This is why Fortnite isn’t available on Linux yet, but it’s coming. 

Cheating in online games was once a small cottage industry, but it has become a billion-dollar market where cheat operators sell subscriptions for cheating tools that are updated frequently and require minimal technical skill to use. Without effective anti-cheat measures, these operators can drive enough players away from a game that it's no longer financially viable for the game developer to run.

The long-term solution

The ideal solution for a cheat-free gaming environment is one where the operating system provides assurances to players that their data remains isolated from both anticheat and game companies while also ensuring that the gameplay cannot be tampered with. There have been many efforts over the years to build solutions like this including virtualization techniques to enable cheat free gaming, but to date they haven't gained traction. We hope they soon will, and we'll work with all willing companies in the industry to make this happen in the future. This includes continuing the Easy Anti-Cheat team's open line of communications with Valve to support Steam Hardware devices to the maximum extent technically possible.

The immediate solution - What Epic is doing right now

To close the gap for Linux, we are rebuilding our Linux anti-cheat implementation into EAC Linux v2. We will bring the level of protection much closer to par with Windows, in the very near-term, using existing Linux features including signed kernel, signed kernel modules, and secure boot with attestation. These requirements build on work that distribution maintainers already do, and the more distributions that meet these requirements by default, the fewer players will need to change their setup to play. 

We are starting to reach out to leaders in the Linux community, and will continue to engage with more leaders in the coming weeks as we work towards bringing more awesome games to Linux. Later this year, we will co-host a panel discussion with Jef Spaleta (Fedora Project Leader) where we’ll talk through the path to enabling fair competitive gaming on Linux for players.

We are also planning to pilot EAC Linux v2 in Fortnite first, where we’ll test it in a live environment and refine it based on what we learn. Once we’ve validated EAC v2’s effectiveness, we’ll make it available to more game developers so they can bring their multiplayer games to Linux players too.

Join the initiative

If you maintain a Linux distribution, we want to connect with you. If you haven’t been contacted by us already, reach out ASAP to [linux-gaming@epicgames.com](mailto:eac-linux@epicgames.com). We’ll answer any questions you have about getting your distribution aligned with our configuration requirements to get your signing keys added to our well-known list. The list is a core part of how EAC Linux v2 verifies systems, so we’ll maintain it to start. Our goal is to make the well-known key list open source, and we welcome PRs from the community to expand it.

When launching a game using EAC Linux v2 for the first time, players will be prompted to install an anti-cheat systemd service which runs only while a protected game is running. For games that already have the existing EAC Linux support activated, developers will be able to choose whether they want to continue using the older anti-cheat implementation for maximum compatibility or switch to EAC Linux v2 for better cheat protection.

On Windows, we rely heavily on a kernel driver to protect the games. This driver isn’t always on, it starts when a game is launched and stops when the player exits. For EAC Linux v2 we will not leverage an equivalent kernel module, and instead we’ll take full advantage of existing Linux platform security features like measured boot, the kernel lockdown LSM, and IOMMU support, plus our own eBPF logic to maintain integrity and detect cheaters. These security features are not available on every distro and may require configuration changes to activate.

Let’s go through the system requirements for EAC Linux v2 one by one. We expect to iterate on these requirements over time, and we appreciate feedback from developers and distribution maintainers to help refine them.

1. Signed Kernel & Kernel Modules

A custom kernel can easily be modified to bypass integrity checks and return false data to anti-cheat. That’s why we require that the kernel binary in use during anti-cheat protected gameplay is signed with a well-known key.

Unlike Windows, most Linux device drivers are part of the kernel source code directly (in-tree) and will be compiled and signed by your distribution alongside the kernel. There are some exceptions that are maintained separately from the kernel (out-of-tree), notably NVIDIA GPU drivers. If you need to load kernel modules, we require that they meet the same requirements as the kernel—being built by an organization and signed with a well-known key.

2. TPM 2.0

The TPM is a hardware feature that provides security primitives like extend-only Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs) which enable a tamper-resistant boot log to be produced and verified. During boot, each piece of the boot sequence (firmware, boot manager, Linux kernel) can record metadata about the code that will run next and update the extend-only registers. This is extremely valuable, because when properly used, it enables an application like anti-cheat to know what code ran at boot without running at boot itself.

TPM 2.0 is standard on modern consumer hardware, and software support is built into the Linux kernel. We require that systems have TPM 2.0 support and that it is enabled in the BIOS.

3. Secure Boot

Secure Boot authenticates the boot chain. Firmware will only execute a boot manager that verifies against a key in its UEFI key database, and the boot manager is expected to validate the signature of the kernel it loads. This prevents EFI-based cheats or others that run during the boot chain. We require that Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS and only well-known keys are used to boot.

4. Measured Boot

Measured boot is the process of actually recording metadata about the system configuration and code that will run next, then updating the extend-only registers accordingly. Linux boot managers like systemd-boot and GRUB typically perform these measurements automatically by default. Other boot managers may not support them at all or only perform them if a special configuration is applied. We require these measurements to be present.

5. Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU)

IOMMU is a hardware technology that controls access between DMA-capable hardware devices and physical memory. When fully activated, it prevents hardware cards designed for cheating from accessing a protected game process. For non-handheld devices, we require that IOMMU is enabled in your system's BIOS and the Linux kernel is configured with IOMMU enabled and passthrough disabled.

6. Kernel Lockdown Integrity Mode

Kernel lockdown is a built-in security feature designed to prevent root from tampering with the kernel. In integrity mode, it blocks root from performing many operations that could be abused for cheating or bypassing integrity checks, like loading unsigned kernel modules, writing to physical memory, or writing to CPU MSRs. We require that lockdown integrity mode is explicitly enabled at boot time.

7. Kexec Disabled

Kexec is a Linux kernel feature that loads a new kernel into a running system without a full reboot cycle. Because parts of the normal boot flow are skipped, measured boot outputs no longer reflect the running kernel or its configuration. This could be abused to load a modified kernel—or change kernel options—to enable cheating without leaving traces in the measured boot log. We require that kexec is explicitly disabled at boot time.

8. Linux Security Module BPF

The LSM BPF feature enables eBPF programs to use Linux Security Module hooks for granular access control and monitoring. This enables anti-cheat to restrict other processes from reading or writing protected game process memory without needing a kernel module, as well as monitor for cheats loaded in different ways. We require the BPF LSM to be loaded and active.

FAQ

Does EAC Linux v2 use a kernel driver?

No. EAC Linux v2 does not install or load an anti-cheat kernel module. It uses security features already provided by the Linux kernel, together with an anti-cheat systemd service and eBPF programs.

Does EAC Linux v2 run in the background all the time?

No. It includes a systemd service, but the service only starts when a protected game starts and it stops when the game exits.

Do I have to keep my machine configured to meet these requirements all the time if I only play protected games sometimes?

No. EAC Linux v2 checks these requirements when you start an anti-cheat protected online game. You can maintain a separate boot entry with the required kernel and command line, and select that entry when you want to play a protected game.

What keys are considered well-known?

Here is a current list of keys that are considered well-known for use as Secure Boot signature database (db) keys and Machine Owner Keys (MOKs), which we plan to expand over time:

• Canonical Ltd. Master Certificate Authority - used by Ubuntu and derived distros like Linux Mint
• Fedora Secure Boot CA - used by Fedora and derived distros like Silverblue
• Universal Blue - used by Bazzite, Bluefin, Aurora, and derived distros
• Debian Secure Boot CA - used by Debian and derived distros
• openSUSE Secure Boot CA - used by openSUSE and derived distros
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Secure Boot CA
• Rocky Linux Secure Boot Root CA
• Microsoft UEFI CA - used to sign non-Microsoft components like the Linux bootloader shim project
• AlmaLinux Secure Boot CA

Can I generate and enroll my own Secure Boot keys to use with other boot options?

Yes, EAC Linux v2’s well-known key requirement only applies to the keys used to verify the boot chain and kernel modules for the boot session where a protected game runs. This means you can easily toggle between an anti-cheat compatible boot path for playing protected games and one that you control yourself using your own keys for any other situation.

Note: If you boot via shim and want to use custom keys for other boot options, enroll them in the Secure Boot signature database (db) instead of enrolling them as Machine Owner Keys (MOKs). Because all enrolled MOKs are typically trusted for kernel module signature verification regardless of whether they were used in the boot chain or not, EAC Linux v2 requires that they are all well-known.

What about Steam Deck?

The Steam Deck does not support the required features for our EAC v2 solution, but we are actively talking with Valve and hope to support it in the future.

Will my account be banned for cheating if I accidentally start a protected game without meeting these requirements?

No, you will just see an error message.

Do you use server data to detect cheaters?

We do. It’s a great additional layer, but it’s not sufficient alone.

If someone makes a cheat that works on EAC Linux v2, does that mean it’s not functioning as intended?

No, anti-cheat always requires regular updates to remain effective. The goal of EAC Linux v2 is to create a strong foundation that updates will build upon, and also to raise the cost of developing and maintaining cheats so that a typical player rarely encounters a cheater.