Animation is one of the crucial points in any video game, and this is the topic of the most recent "Around the Verse" episode for the PC-exclusive title "Star Citizen."

In the last transmission, animation director Steve Bender is joined by CG supervisor Forrest Stephan in discussing the aforementioned topic. They started with updates for Alpha 2.6, where they explained testing for different ships is being done as they eliminate performance bugs. There will also be holiday livestream by Dec. 16, and the studio is getting help from LA locals in play testing before the said event.

The Austin development team then walked through the animation process and what is currently being worked on. Senior technical animator Jay Brushwood talked about the ship animation and how they are gearing toward making a visceral experience of being inside a futuristic space flyer.

Animator Daniel Craig also added on combat, walk and emergency speeds of the animation to make it more life-like. "So that when the player enters or exits, it's depending on the situation and the speed will change. So if you are trying to get out fast, it'll go superfast. So if you're trying to kinda role-play slow, then you can get out a little bit more leisurely," Craig explained.

Lead vehicle artist Chris Smith, on the other hand, gave an update on how the remodeling of the Hornet spacecraft is going. Smith is working on bringing the Hornet up to the same texture as the other flyers in such a way that it creates a sense of realism. The polished, cleaner visuals look authentic, which is something the team is aiming for.

The PC-exclusive title has been in development since 2011, and is quickly shaping up to be one of the most expensive games ever to be produced, and is only $2 million shy of reaching "Destiny's" production cost. If anything, the updates on how the team is going about with the development seem to be worth it.

There is currently no estimated time of completion for the "Star Citizen" project, but despite the vague timeline, crowdfunding doesn't seem to stop. This just goes to show the interest in the unreleased space-shooter game.