Star Citizen has the potential to change the way that the industry thinks about crowdfunded releases. The title, from developer Cloud Imperium Games, has broken a huge number of commercial records for video game crowd sourcing, and backing recently hit the $75 million mark. The game itself promises to be a deeply immersive experience when complete, with Cloud Imperium aiming to create a whole new genre of gaming. If that 100GB client download is anything to go by, there is going to be a wealth of content available.

One of the biggest selling points of Star Citizen is the sheer control that players have over their own ship command. Star Citizen users are able to buy their own ships from a variety of designs and with different purposes. Now, players will have another ship to add to their collection: the "Relentless Predator" Aegis Vanguard, a UEE deep space fighter.

The ship, which is set to carry out a number of roles including recon ship and fighter-bomber according to the Roberts Space Industries site, cuts a pretty mean figure. Featuring a central gatling gun and forward-mounted laser cannons, the Vanguard has the potential be one of the most useful ships in Star Citizen - and one that could show off the detail of Star Citizen's new damage engineThat kind of power comes at a substantial price, though: the Vanguard will set any players back $250.

The Star Citizen community is no stranger to big prices, however, and the Vanguard is not the only content that has only been available to those willing to pay a premium. Other ships also command large price tags, such as the Retaliator heavy bomber, which sells for $360. Indeed, the Vanguard is actually on discount at $250, and Cloud Imperium Games states that the price will rise to an as-of-yet unannounced amount after the sale ends on April 6.

The high ship prices could raise fears that Star Citizen is creating two tiers of players – those able to afford the most effective in-game content, and those who can’t. Some, however, have already begun to work out tactics on how to beat the intimidating Vanguard. According to some players, the ship’s current stats are not all that impressive, in spite of the dangerous firepower, although this may be due to Cloud Imperium's transition to a new stat system.

Those wanting to try out these strategies will have to wait a while longer yet, though. The Vanguard is only in the concept stage at the moment, and is still some ways off being available as playable content. Until then, any backers who choose to purchase the ship will be left with some decorative items and the promise of good things to come. Thankfully, the recent content patch should offer enough to keep many occupied.

Source: Roberts Space Industries