This Star Citizen Exploit Works With Any Ship

In this video we take a close look at an exploit in Star Citizen that highlights the gap between the game’s current mission design and the systems CIG plans to implement in the future. During an Erad Club session in Pyro we decided to test how far we could push the mechanics of FPS ground missions. Instead of fighting the Headhunters the traditional way with boots on the ground and risk, coordination, and medical supplies on the line, we used a Polaris capital ship to clear the battlefield from the air.

The result was straightforward. The turrets of the Polaris wiped out every single hostile outside the outpost before our FPS team even touched down. Once the area was clear our squad deployed in an MPUV to finish off the few remaining defenders inside the building. What should have been a tense and challenging FPS encounter was reduced to little more than target practice from above.

This example shows why the current game design does not yet account for capital ships being used inappropriately during ground combat. Outposts do not have proper defenses against aerial or orbital firepower, NPCs are not equipped to counter capital ships, and ships themselves can hover far too easily. The combination of these factors creates opportunities for players to bypass intended mechanics and trivialize missions.

CIG is fully aware of this issue and has clear plans to address it. Ground settlements are set to receive dedicated defenses. Anti-air turrets, missile batteries, and shield generators will make outposts far more resilient. At CitizenCon we even saw a demo of ground-based shields that can cover entire settlements with a protective dome. This will prevent ships like the Polaris from simply parking overhead and raining down fire. To succeed players will first need to disable these shields and defenses which will ensure that combined-arms tactics are required.

NPC behavior is also going to evolve significantly. Instead of standing passively while being mowed down, AI-controlled enemies will adapt, fight back intelligently, and even deploy vehicles. This includes dedicated anti-air platforms like the Ballista which could make it extremely dangerous for capital ships to linger in low atmosphere. Ground troops will no longer be defenseless, and mission design will naturally push players into coordinated multi-role engagements.

The flight model itself will also change. Currently ships can hover indefinitely, acting like futuristic gunships. In the future VTOL thrusters will not sustain prolonged hovering. A Polaris will not be able to float motionless above a base forever. Pilots will have to maneuver, manage power, and keep ships moving, restoring the original purpose of capital ships which is space and fleet combat and not the suppression of infantry.

The exploit we demonstrated with the Polaris was undeniably fun, but it revealed a flaw that undermines the spirit of Star Citizen’s design. Missions should be immersive, challenging, and rewarding, not trivialized by a single ship exploiting current mechanics.

The good news is that the game is evolving. With upcoming improvements such as stronger outpost defenses, smarter AI, vehicles, shields, and flight model changes, these exploits will become far more difficult if not impossible. Future missions will once again emphasize teamwork, strategy, and risk, whether you are flying support, engaging in ground combat, or coordinating fleet actions.

Star Citizen remains a work in progress and situations like these are part of the growing pains of a living alpha. Every patch brings new systems that shape the game closer to the ambitious vision CIG has set. What may feel like an exploit today will soon be balanced by new mechanics tomorrow.