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Star Citizen's most recent patch features a range of changes that bring entirely new systems to the game's dynamic universe. Patch 3.18 features Persistent Entity Streaming (PES) and Server Meshing, easily the biggest changes the developers have introduced. This allows items to persist for an indefinite period of time, creating new opportunities for gameplay loops.
However, on top of this, players can now partake in racing missions. This is something the community has been requesting for years, and it's awesome to finally have it in the game. As there are currently only seven locations for racing, it's likely players can spectate others having a go.
This guide will help those looking to take part in this new gameplay loop, as well as outline why this addition is so significant for Star Citizen's development.
How to Start Race Missions in Star Citizen
Like other missions in Star Citizen, the player needs to open the Mobiglass and head over to the contracts manager tab. From here, there will be a new racing tab containing all the available missions.
Similar to other career endeavors, players will need to increase their reputation in this category to unlock other races. This is well worth doing as having access to a multitude of races gives great variety and allows players to fully test their piloting skills in various environments.
The major difference between each race, other than the layout, is the change in gravity between each location. This creates a dynamic racing style for all players to engage with.
All Race Mission Locations
As mentioned, there are seven new race missions for Star Citizen players to compete on. These are:
- Caplan Circuit, Orison, Crusader
- Miner's Lament, Yela
- Icebreaker, Euterpe
- SkyScraper, Area 18, ArcCorp
- Snake Pit, Clio
- Lorville Outskirts, Lorville, Hurston
- Yadar Valley, Daymar
Racetracks such as Yadar Valley provide lots of low-flying opportunities through canyons and crevices, really testing the pilot's skills to change their speed and maneuverability on the fly. This contrasts well with the Caplan Circuit, a track located in Orison. The floating platforms provide opportunities for more three-dimensional flight with struts and support, creating tight tunnels to navigate through.
A small mistake on any of these tracks can be the difference between life and death. Players will need to manage the risk here and minimize their time without colliding with any objects.
Best Racing Ships
There are a few ships that the best pilots use as they feature the best speed and maneuverability for tricky tracks.
The P-52 Merlin from Kruger Intergalactic is a great choice for those looking for a cheap option. This snub fighter is incredibly quick and nimble, making it easy to change direction and avoid collision with narrow spaces.
Unfortunately, due to the nature and size of the Merlin, it doesn't feature a quantum drive. This means players will need to buy a larger ship to store and transport the Merlin between locations. Something like the Star Runner or Carrack is great for this, but it does come at quite a price.
If the player has a friend with a large ship, the Merlin is a great entry point at only 135,000 aUEC. However, if this isn't the case, there are a few other choices.
The MISC Razor is arguably the best racing ship in Star Citizen. However, at 1.75m aUEC, this is the most expensive option. Something like the Origin M50 or CO Mustang Gamma can provide the racing standard at a much lower price. The 350R also provides great racing capabilities with more real-world utility to allow the completion of delivery missions or more difficult mercenary missions with cargo space.
To conclude, all these ships perform in a very similar way with slight variations in speed, weight, size, and maneuverability. This gives opportunities for variety in the game, allowing players to argue and debate their preferences.
Why Are Race Missions Great for Star Citizen?
This addition may seem fairly shallow initially, but when we dig into the details of this feature, there are some much larger factors at play than players may expect.
As this is a feature the community has been requesting for a while, it's great to finally see its addition to the full game. Most of these first-iteration races were originally curated by a community racing group called XGR (Extreme G Racing). The developers have communicated and worked alongside this group to implement their races into the core mechanics of the game.
It's great to see developers implementing community lead activities, something we don't see with many other developers in the industry. We hope to see more community lead features implemented with future updates as it shows a key understanding of the player base's wants and needs. As the core components of Star Citizen's tech are coming to the end of their development, it's likely this may become a more common occurrence.
Star Citizen is available on PC in Early Access.