Star Citizen Online - The search for more money

I was actually given PTU access on the second day 2.0 came out, and I was so excited. However, as we all know, those first few days of 2.0 were extremely buggy, and it was unplayable for me. I would spawn in, then the game would crash, then I would try again, etc. After that first, disappointing day, I was unable to get back onto 2.0 because of work... until today. I decided to launch the game, and low and behold, it didn't crash. Checked reddit, and I was informed 2.0G was out, and it was very stable. This is where our story begins:

I started out by excitedly walking down to pad A-2, where I was informed my Anvil Super Hornet would be waiting. I opened the airlock, stepped outside, and saw Crusader for the first time. I couldn't pick my jaw off the floor. Walking up those steps and seeing the massive gas giant come into view was incredible. I know people probably take for granted the scenery because they have seen it so much, but for someone who saw it for the first time (all my previous attempts had crashed the game before I could get outside), it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Couple that to the fact I could see many different ships buzzing around Port Olisar,against a beautiful facade of stars, and I knew this was really happening. I asked in chat if anyone wanted to join me in my Super Hornet, but everyone was busy, and I was too excited to wait. I hopped in, took off, and started cruising around Port Olisar. Navigating through the rotating rings, and skimming the tops of all the Constellations docked there was awesome. However, I noticed I was going extremely slow, even at 100% power. This is because past (idiot) me did not know how to change the different modes of travel. Did a quick check, face-palmed, then engaged Space Combat Maneuvering and got a little bit away from the station. Then, I switched to cruise mode, and after I reached full speed, decoupled, and swung around to face Port Olisar. Seeing the station recede into a tiny speck of light against the massive backdrop of Crusader was probably the most enlightening thing of my experience. I realized the true scope, the true scale, of what this game would become. After watching the station disappear into nothingness for what seemed like an eternity, I cut my throttle and came to a stop. I realized at this point I was in the middle of nowhere, and did not know where to go or what to do. Someone in the chat told me I could use B to select a destination, then use middle mouse to quantum travel. I saw the security outpost, and elected to go there. Going into quantum travel was amazing, and I used the new free look to watch Crusader recede away from me, in much the same way I saw Port Olisar vanish as I flew away from it. Once more, I got the raw, visceral feeling of the sheer size of the game. And, to think this was only a single planet's system out of an entire universe to be created, sent chills down my spine.

I arrived at the outpost, and requested a landing pad. No one else seemed to be at the station, so I landed and got out. I knew I could use 1 to pull out my pistol, and even though there was supposedly no one there, I took it out just to feel cool. I walked around the side of the station to get to the airlock, but froze, because I saw an Avenger parked just in the shadow of the station next to the airlock. I decided to enter the airlock, but keep my pistol ready, just in case this player was hostile. I entered in chat that I was at the outpost, and if anyone else was there, I was friendly. I got no response, so I went in. Right as the airlock door opened, laser shots started barraging me. Being the pussy I am, I noped the f*ck out of the station, and took cover back outside behind the Avenger. I had my sights lined on the airlock, and right as my assailant opened the airlock doors, I landed a clean shot right to the head, collapsing him where he stood. Exhilarated by the adrenaline rushing through me, after having finally engaged in PVP combat in Star Citizen (although it may have only lasted 45 seconds!), I hurriedly returned to my ship, only to see another player in a Mustang firing at my landed ship. My mistake was to try to shoot the pilot of the Mustang with my pistol. It didn't kill him... big surprise there. He trained his repeaters on me, and quickly killed me with a discharge or energy.

Defeated, I woke up back at Olisar, and decided to try some multicrew action. I quickly made friends with two players in a Connie (Ubain and 11lowlight11, if you see this, add me, my RSI handle is Collapse). They informed me they were going to repair a comms array, and asked if I would like to join. I said sure, and offered to escort them in my Super Hornet. Another player (sorry, I forgot your name!...) offered to help me escort them in his Gladius, so I said we could all go together. We get in our respective ships and meet up above the Landing Pad A-10. We warp to Comms Array 306, only to see an M50 engaged in combat with all the pirates. Me and the Gladius head to help out the M50, while our friends in the Connie take on the rest of the pirates with Crusader Security. Unfortunately, we were too late to save the M50, and we watched as his ship exploded after colliding with one of the pirates. We finished off the rest of the pirates, and our friend in the Gladius said he had to go. We said our goodbyes, and he warped back to Port Olisar. Me and 11lowlight11, from the Connie, got out and headed into the Comms array. He graciously allows me to turn it on, and once we get the greenlight, head back to our ships. I ask if I could ride in their Connie back to Port Olisar, rather than my Super Hornet, and they happily oblige. However, being the noobs we were, we couldn't get into the ship. Our attempts to enter through the docking collar all ended in us glitching through the ships hull, so we took another approach. Ubain opened the cargo bay from inside the ship, and we EVA'd over to the large entrance. Once we were inside, he closed the cargo bay, but, as it was closing, we got stuck in the bay doors. Many futile attempts of closing and opening said cargo bay doors yielded no freedom from its jaws of death. So, after about 10 minutes, I looked at Ubain and told him I was taking the easy way out. He nodded and told me he would meet me on the other side.

Fast forward a right alt-delete and a loading screen later, and we met up back at the ship deck on Port Olisar. I was browsing my ships to select, and I saw I had a Constellation in my ship list. Now, I don't own a Connie, so I was confused as to why I had one in m inventory. I checked the forums, and saw that I got a Connie as a loaner for one of my ships that wasn't available yet. I messaged Ubain and 11lowlight11, and asked if they would want to join me in my Connie. They said they would love to. However, a few more people heard us in the chat, and 2 new users, Croma and Salmonella, hopped aboard. This was my first, real, multicrew experience, and it was so amazing to see all of us in the Connie together, filling up the different stations. I took the pilots seat, and everyone else worked out which positions they would take. Once we were boarded, we took off. We got a ways away from the station, and warped out to a Comm's array. The second we came out of our Quantum jump, all the alarms started blaring. Ahead of use were two Origin 325s fending off all the pirates around the station. I yelled at my crew in chat "BATTLE STATIONS READY!" and heard 4 consecutive "Ready!"s, followed by the whir of the systems engaging into combat mode. This was quite possibly the coolest thing I have ever done, and it made everything feel so real. When I was able to yell out "BATTLE STATIONS READY!" (albeit in text chat...) I felt like a total badass, and this was the moment I realized exactly why I spent so much money on this game. To see this happen to me, to truly experience what I had always imagined, was jaw drooping. Looking back to the ensuing battle, I heard Ubain telling me he was shifting shields to 75% bias forward, and I heard my two turret gunners swivel to face forward. We hailed the two 325's that we were joining the battle, and we rushed right into the middle of the conflict. My turret gunners started firing at two pursuing pirates, and I took evasive maneuvers as I saw two missiles lock onto our ship. We took two prates out before I evade one of the missiles. The other missile, however, got a direct strike on our top-starboard engine, and we felt the ship rattle and shake as the engine exploded. I got the flashing alerts of system's offline over all my screens, and the main lights went out as the emergency flashers took their place. Did I mention the atmosphere of this game is incredible, even in these early stages? Anyways, I heard Ubain frantically trying to get some shields back online, and I rotated the ship on the side, to line up perpendicularly with the last two pirates. I started firing the main battery of guns from head on at one, and my two gunners took sights on the last. We raced towards each other, but in the end, we were still alive, and the other two ships were breaking up into many pieces out in the vastness of space. After the successful victory, the two 325's decided to wait while we repaired the comms array. We flew the beaten-up, but still funcional connie over to the repair station. We couldn't get the repairs to start working, so we gave up and decided the Connie could take a few more hits, and we headed over back to port Olisar. I landed, and all of us dismounted. We had all survived, and said our goodbyes. I had to go, and each pair of friends I had made were off to go pursue their own endeavors.

After I disconnected, I sat back with the biggest smile on my face, because I had just taken the first step into the amazing world of Star Citizen. I had engaged in nearly an hour and a half of continuous, unbroken, Star Citizen gameplay. To me, this was the coolest thing I have ever seen, and all I can say is I can't wait to engage in more PTU activity. None of my friends are able to get into the PTU yet, so if you want to add my RSI handle to play some 2.0 with me, you can add me. My handle is Collapse. Anyways, sorry for the long wall of text, but I couldn't contain my excitement for this game. Hope to see you all in the 'Verse!