Selling The Stars

[LCU No Fool Like One]

Many long standing players have multiple accounts have bought all the cosmetics and ship kits that they want. Preconfigured ships aren’t very compelling especially if the unique engineered modules cannot be stored or transferred.

So what could fdev do to encourage players like me to spend more money?

Fdev has a unique commodity that people would pay premium prices for even though there are 400 billion units available. They can literally sell the stars. Even if everyone who ever bought Elite purchased 10 systems each, that would still be only 0.01% of all the systems in the galaxy.

There is a precedent for this. Some of the kickstarter reward tiers offered the players a chance to name systems, planets and stations. 7 people paid £3000 for the opportunity to name a star system. If you subtract the rewards from the previous tiers they were essentially paying £1500 for the privilege. Those tiers didn’t sell out, so I would suggest that that price point was a little high.

I think there are many ways in which the sale could be done

Possible Schemes for individual players

• The player is assigned a random undiscovered system anywhere in the galaxy
• The player chooses a region and is assigned a random undiscovered system anywhere in the selected region. They pay a premium for popular regions like IOS
• The player choses a system that has a generic name and is offered a price based on how close it is to a population centre
• The player can choose a system or optionally a body to name and is offered a price based on how close it is to a population centre

For the well healed players and player groups there could be something a bit more complex but which could bring in more revenue. The player can select a number of options for naming a system of their choosing that could allow players and groups to have a bit more agency with the growth of the galaxy. Player groups for instance would be able to create a new bubble somewhere or expand the existing bubble. The scheme would cover the options above.

1. Choose a system
   1. Name the system
2. Choose a body
   1. name the body
   2. Add a surface installation
      1. Choose the installation type
      2. Name the installation
   3. add a station:
      1. Choose the station type
      2. Name the station
      3. Optionally name the Controlling faction
   4. Add an installation
      1. Choose the installation type
      2. Name the installation

Each of the options selected would add up to the final price and it would give some flexibility.

Use Cases

A player wants to name a system after their cat. They don’t have a great deal of cash so they pick a system in the cats paw nebula and name it Esmerelda

A player wants a vanity system in the bubble so they pick a system. Its current name is in the star catalog eg HIP XXX so have to pay a premium to rename it as well as a premium for being in the bubble.

A player discovered a system where two gas giants collide, they select the system but do not name it, then they select the two bodies and rename them Rhubarb and Custard. The system is in the Inner Orion Spur so they pay a premium.

A player faction wants to expand their part of the bubble. So they choose a system and name it, They pick bodies where they add any stations and surface sites and pick a bar installation. They pay a premium for being close to the bubble. The options all add up so they don’t name any of the bodies to save money. The total cost runs to over a thousand pounds so the players club together to raise the money

A player faction in Dubbuenell wants to name all the bodies in it's system after biscuits.

A group of billionaires decide to build a beagle bridge across the galaxy by constructing populated systems all the way out to beagle point. They spend a ton of cash.

Now I don’t know what would make it worth while to build the sales channel and the processes for delivering the changes into the live game. I suspect that the basic price would probably be fairly high but I’m sure there would be scope for adjusting the prices to hit the sweet spot on the demand curve.

What would your use case be?

 

[marx]

There are multiple issues with this, but the showstopper might be a technical one: as far as I know, the name overrides must be stored locally, because new ones were only added in game updates. (See the various changelogs over the years.) For competition rewards and whatnot, this has been fine so far, since there weren't many. However, if Frontier opened the floodgates and sold name pre-orders, which would only appear in-game after an unknown amount of months, that could cause all sorts of problems for them.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

There are multiple issues with this, but the showstopper might be a technical one: as far as I know, the name overrides must be stored locally, because new ones were only added in game updates. (See the various changelogs over the years.) For competition rewards and whatnot, this has been fine so far, since there weren't many. However, if Frontier opened the floodgates and sold name pre-orders, which would only appear in-game after an unknown amount of months, that could cause all sorts of problems for them.

True, though conversely the name overrides are probably stored purely locally because they're not expected to change often. Quite a few other things have been moved from "requires client update" to "processed every Thursday restart" or "processed live" over the last decade so that's probably the least likely to get in the way of Frontier if they decide to do it.

 

[LCU No Fool Like One]

There are multiple issues with this, but the showstopper might be a technical one: as far as I know, the name overrides must be stored locally, because new ones were only added in game updates. (See the various changelogs over the years.) For competition rewards and whatnot, this has been fine so far, since there weren't many. However, if Frontier opened the floodgates and sold name pre-orders, which would only appear in-game after an unknown amount of months, that could cause all sorts of problems for them.

Oh there will be technical problems to be solved no question about it. The storefront being one of them.

Another is validating the names to make sure there is nothing naughty slipped in, Though it has to be said there are a few naughty ones in game already. If It required a manual QA then the price point could be adjusted approriately.

If the update question is insurmountable then the solution might be, you will not be billed untill your purchase is confirmed, which might be a day or so before release. I would be surprised if the names couldn't be added on a Thursday update. if I were doing it I would just download an updated list on startup, then it could be instant if you wanted.

I think the people best placed to think about technical issues would be fdev. I think what might be interesting here, is to consider other objections.

 

[LCU No Fool Like One]

How about a budget option? You get to name a landable body but it could be anywhere in the galaxy and you have to find it. Obviously you might never find it in your lifetime. I'd pay 17,000 ARX for that, Imagine the thrill if Mission Farsight found it.

 

[Planewalker]

The risk of meme and downright horrid names makes me think it is a not a stellar idea. (pun intended)

Not to say the idea as a whole is bad btw; idk if the time/effort will be worth it for fdev tho.

 

[aRJay]

The opportunities to slip in insultingly stupid names or actionable ones or those that are someone else’s IP would have to be countered of course.

I am also not happy at the idea of people being able to add populations and infrastructure to the game or to be honest renaming anything that has been discovered.

But the basic idea sounds OK.

 

[metatheurgist]

It's a tidal wave now. GG Frontier.

 

[rootsrat]

I'm really on the fence with this. I like the idea, because it's purely cosmetic and does not affect gameplay mechanics in any way, it does not skip any gameplay either for money.

But on the other hand... After I've seen some ship and fleet carrier names - I am not so sure.

 

[varonica]

I'm really on the fence with this. I like the idea, because it's purely cosmetic and does not affect gameplay mechanics in any way, it does not skip any gameplay either for money.

But on the other hand... After I've seen some ship and fleet carrier names - I am not so sure.

Let alone the complaints from other players. How many times now have we seen a post demanding that the name Stapled Peacock Flesh for a station is stupid and must be changed because no-one would name anything like that in real life. Well the reality is, it was payed for and no-one has the right to demand it be changed but it still happens. Give players carte blanche (with certain guidelines of course) and I can imagine the plethora of complaints about names. I mean there are a number of common English words that are actually quite offensive in other languages and that's just the top layer of problems. Nope, a thousand times nope. The original kick starter names were few enough they could be vetted, but to be fair planets and stars would have to be sold for the same amount they were sold in the kick starter, and I am afraid 17,000 ARX isn't even going to cover the down payment!

 

[LCU No Fool Like One]

Let alone the complaints from other players. How many times now have we seen a post demanding that the name Stapled Peacock Flesh for a station is stupid and must be changed because no-one would name anything like that in real life. Well the reality is, it was payed for and no-one has the right to demand it be changed but it still happens. Give players carte blanche (with certain guidelines of course) and I can imagine the plethora of complaints about names. I mean there are a number of common English words that are actually quite offensive in other languages and that's just the top layer of problems. Nope, a thousand times nope. The original kick starter names were few enough they could be vetted, but to be fair planets and stars would have to be sold for the same amount they were sold in the kick starter, and I am afraid 17,000 ARX isn't even going to cover the down payment!

Who knows what people will name things in 3310? The UK is littered with offensive place names, usually named after activities that took place there. But I'm not proposing carte blanche. Vetting is a cost that could be factored into the price. But there are also better tools available to help with the vetting than there were 10 years ago. A human combined with a LLM could vet them, also contractual terms could state that if its deemed at a later date that it is offensive it can be removed and no compensation.

I don't agree that the price would need to be the same as the kickstarter. Prices change all the time. Should I get upset because I paid full price for the game and someone else got it for less? I mean I might, but it doesn't mean that Fdev shouldn't reduce the price to hit the sales target. Bear in mind that they have done it for free on occasio and as in game rewards.

 

[LCU No Fool Like One]

I'm really on the fence with this. I like the idea, because it's purely cosmetic and does not affect gameplay mechanics in any way, it does not skip any gameplay either for money.

But on the other hand... After I've seen some ship and fleet carrier names - I am not so sure.

I think potentially it could impact gameplay for instance if new populated systems were placed in strategic locations, but it could be designed not to. For instance making it outside of the range of BGS expansion targets or limiting it to outside populated regions.

 

[varonica]

I don't agree that the price would need to be the same as the kickstarter. Prices change all the time. Should I get upset because I paid full price for the game and someone else got it for less? I mean I might, but it doesn't mean that Fdev shouldn't reduce the price to hit the sales target. Bear in mind that they have done it for free on occasio and as in game rewards.

More then due to inflation? The right to naming planets and stations was sold during the kick starter so people would have inventive to spend more, and in game rewards aren't anywhere near comparable, this was real money we are talking about, not made up credits in a scifi game.

 

[LCU No Fool Like One]

More then due to inflation? The right to naming planets and stations was sold during the kick starter so people would have inventive to spend more, and in game rewards aren't anywhere near comparable, this was real money we are talking about, not made up credits in a scifi game.

How much does a 42 inch flat screen telly cost these days? Prices go down as well as up. They could ask for more but I suspect that they wont get the volume of sales at those prices. Only 7 people paid for the top tier. Some of these people may not even play the game anymore. But if their feelings should be taken into consideration, then why have they been doing it for free?

 

[Fnord Velkor]

I think the people that paid out loadsacash at kickstarter for the naming privileges will be extremely annoyed if anything like this occurs. (Always supposing they are still alive.)

 

[SteveWW57]

Rather than systems and loads of planets, maybe allow a player to "buy" (not necessarily all real life cash, more likely mostly game credits) and maintain the rights to name and colonise an ELW outside the bubble. Combine this with base building (a planetary port) on the surface and the possible purchase of a station if a carrier was not to be used. Limit the amount of banked licence fee to say a year so that unsupported colonies would be available to be taken over by another player. One colony at any time per player. Not going to happen, but it would be nice.

Steve

 

[marx]

There's also the issue of players possibly naming things that others might have discovered, or naming bodies in a system that has been named, and so on.

At the end of the day though, none of this would be "free money" for Frontier: it would always cost them as the purchased(!) names would have to be manually reviewed. Those are employee hours that could be better spent doing other things, really. (Not to mention having to later deal with the cases when crap would inevitably slip past the radar.) That's not just a matter of increasing the Arx price to cover the cost, since the time of existing employees is finite, and I doubt that Frontier would hire somebody just for this, and outsourcing it would have a bunch of problems as well.
Meanwhile, pretty much every other cash store option wouldn't have any such recurring costs and issues.

 

[aRJay]

I think potentially it could impact gameplay for instance if new populated systems were placed in strategic locations, but it could be designed not to. For instance making it outside of the range of BGS expansion targets or limiting it to outside populated regions.

The fact that there are new populated systems will have an impact on gameplay even if they were 90 degrees round the galactic rim from the bubble, renaming through is only going to impact the few players the names offend or cause to injure themselves laughing.

Rather than systems and loads of planets, maybe allow a player to "buy" (not necessarily all real life cash, more likely mostly game credits) and maintain the rights to name and colonise an ELW outside the bubble. Combine this with base building (a planetary port) on the surface and the possible purchase of a station if a carrier was not to be used. Limit the amount of banked licence fee to say a year so that unsupported colonies would be available to be taken over by another player. One colony at any time per player. Not going to happen, but it would be nice.

Steve

No.

I agree not going to happen but still no to base building.

 

[LCU No Fool Like One]

There's also the issue of players possibly naming things that others might have discovered, or naming bodies in a system that has been named, and so on.

At the end of the day though, none of this would be "free money" for Frontier: it would always cost them as the purchased(!) names would have to be manually reviewed. Those are employee hours that could be better spent doing other things, really. (Not to mention having to later deal with the cases when crap would inevitably slip past the radar.) That's not just a matter of increasing the Arx price to cover the cost, since the time of existing employees is finite, and I doubt that Frontier would hire somebody just for this, and outsourcing it would have a bunch of problems as well.
Meanwhile, pretty much every other cash store option wouldn't have any such recurring costs and issues.

The issue of naming things that others have discovered I don't think is a concern to fdev, but maybe it should be. We were able to rename a body in Dubbuenell after winning a competition despite it already being discovered by someone else and despite it being a player faction's home system. But fdev do have a database of discovered systems, so they could exclude those. It would drastically limit any bubble building attempts if it had to be an undiscovered system. Personally I don't see why it should be a restriction. Maybe they could limit the naming options to the people who discovered them. But they do have all the data available to place any restrictions they like. Such as not allowing bodies to be named if the system has been named by someone else. That limitation might even be a nice marketting hook. I see you named this system do you want to buy a station for it?

There is no such thing as free money but there is profit. I don't think you can make an economic argument against it unless you know the price, the costs and sales projections. Frontier will hire people if doing so will profit them. My view is that the cost of vetting per system is not very high and the terms should cover any fallout. They already name stuff for free so It seems to me that it can't be a huge cost to them currently.

 

[Greasetrap42]

So what could fdev do to encourage players like me to spend more money?

Put effort into more gameplay. Another DLC that has content. Customers pay for it and get more activities.