Star Citizen
Microtransactions in Star Citizen are summarized as...
Star Citizen is a game that started off as a Kickstarter project. It was fully funded, but the game's vision grew in scope and more funding was required. This is done through the purchase of various in-game items, many of which directly influence the power of the player. When playing Star Citizen, you will need to accept that the game is unfinished and your purchases are meant as funding. This used to be more relevant when the game was first announced on Kickstarter, but as Live Service games are the norm now, this is true for many games to some extent.
Ships
In order to play the game, you need a starter ship. Currently, the game suggests 2 packages when you first go to buy the game: Standard and Premium. The Premium version has a stronger ship as well as additional in-game rewards. It should be noted that these are not the only ways to purchase the game. There are many starter packs available, ranging from roughly 50 USD to roughly 1200 USD. Each pack contains stronger ships and/or more rewards, including more of the in-game currency. The 1200 USD package includes 5 ships.
Once you have purchased your starter pack, you can continue to purchase more ships. For most ships, this can be done either with in-game earned currency or via real money purchases. The prices of ships vary wildly, ranging from 50 USD to 3000 USD.
Some ships are available at all times while others are only available during a limited period. In many cases, it's not just time-limited; it's also quantity-limited. When stock runs out, you will need to wait for the next time period to purchase the ship.
You can also purchase ground vehicles. These range from 15 USD to 140 USD and are required for certain content.
Some ships are available for purchase but offer no actual ship, just the promise of a ship. This means that at the time of purchase, the ship is nothing but an image; the actual ship will only be available at a later time in development.Insurance
Your ship needs insurance. Insurance means you will get your ship back when it is destroyed or stolen. If you do not have insurance, you will lose your ship and will need to purchase it again. Currently, the game is in Alpha and the insurance timers do not tick down. But it should be noted that purchases in the future might not be permanent. You might need to purchase the game, or insurance policies, multiple times if you wish to keep playing.
Other purchases
Next to ships, there are many other purchases. Some are cosmetic only, some increase your power.
You can purchase paints for your ships. These generally range from roughly 3 USD to roughly 10 USD, with bundles available that grant all paints for a particular ship for a reduced price.
Additionally, you can purchase gear and weaponry for your character. These directly influence the power of your character and are not cosmetic only.
The in-game currency can be purchased for real-life money.
Other purchases include name changes and an in-game map.Subscription
The game offers an optional subscription in 2 different tiers. This subscription grants a number of in-game perks such as early access to test servers, cosmetic items, discounts on real-life merchandise, in-game currencies, a newsletter, early access to purchasing event tickets, and more. Additionally, after 12 months of subscription, you get a 10% discount on any purchase, up to 50 USD. The base level subscription is priced at roughly 12 USD per month. The "Imperator" is priced at roughly 23 USD per month, granting roughly double the amount of bonuses over the standard tier, along with early access to new ships.
Concierge, the Chairman's Club
Star Citizen has a rewards program called the "Chairman's Club". This club rewards players for money spent; the more money you spend, the more rewards you get. The first reward is earned after spending 1,000 USD, granting in-game cosmetics, gameplay items, the soundtrack of the game, as well as another version of the game download.
This program scales up to 25,000 USD, with various steps in between, granting a unique ship. That is to say, the ship itself doesn't cost this much, but the only way to acquire this ship is through spending 25,000 USD on other goods.
Overall, Star Citizen is a very expensive game to enjoy. You will need to spend money in order to keep up, and you will need to spend a lot of it. Over time, the game has amassed over 700 million USD, which is far more than just about any game ever created, and yet it's not enough. The game is incomplete, will remain incomplete, and is a money sink for those who wish to be involved. That's not to say there's no game to be found. The game is unique in what it wants to be and over time it might get to a point where it is unique in what it is. After 700 million and 12 years of development, that has not yet happened.
