Improving the Elite Dangerous Kickstarter project

[Bromley86]

The way I'd expect it to be structured (which isn't necessarily the way a successful funding should be) is that signing up at the early (i.e. KS) stage would net you the best deal. Those goodies would still be available after the KS target is reached via the ED website, but they'd cost a little more.

Also, I think the whole Pledge Upgrades section needs to moved off KS onto the ED website. I get why it's on KS - this is a high target they've aimed for and so they'll want the funding via KS to help meet it. It's just it looks messy where it is; better to lower the target at the rekick, streamline the KS page and aim to get supplemental income from the ED website (where it'll be easier to do the items justice, for example with pictures of the £700 Anaconda).

 

[nats]

Also, I think the whole Pledge Upgrades section needs to moved off KS onto the ED website. I get why it's on KS - this is a high target they've aimed for and so they'll want the funding via KS to help meet it. It's just it looks messy where it is; better to lower the target at the rekick, streamline the KS page and aim to get supplemental income from the ED website (where it'll be easier to do the items justice, for example with pictures of the £700 Anaconda).

That would be like shooting themselves in the foot. Its taken ages to get the addons onto the KS page. They could always have more info on the website showing photos and more explanation for people, nothing wrong with that, but the pledge addons definitely need to stay on the main KS page.

 

[Lazlo Woodbine]

That would be like shooting themselves in the foot. Its taken ages to get the addons onto the KS page. They could always have more info on the website showing photos and more explanation for people, nothing wrong with that, but the pledge addons definitely need to stay on the main KS page.

I agree with that. If anything, they should be more prominent on the Kickstarter page. This whole thing is about raising money after all.

 

[Bromley86]

Sure. As I said, that's for rekick.

 

[Captain Black]

The way I'd expect it to be structured (which isn't necessarily the way a successful funding should be) is that signing up at the early (i.e. KS) stage would net you the best deal. Those goodies would still be available after the KS target is reached via the ED website, but they'd cost a little more..

It worked for Star Citizen. Got me to up my pledges. Also the ability to upgrade again at the original prices during the next 12 months and the lifetime ship insurance helped pry open my wallet.

 

[CaptainCarnage]

What's really annoyed me about the Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter is the ongoing and rather glaring grammatical errors in the updates. Aren't these even proof-read before they're released? It looks very unprofessional and destroys confidence when the update looks like it's been thrown together in 5 minutes.

 

[Cmdr Sharky]

I was just about to post saying, "what I want is a pledge tier that is worth me upgrading to as I have no interest in being called Jameson or having. Star system named after me".

However, the impact of that on the Kickstarter would be minimal, insignificant even.

The only value of the high-end tiers is, in my opinion, to make potential backers think "wow, some people have pledged £5000 on this - they must really believe in this project to be prepared to spend all that money on a computer game, a launch party, and a dinner". That is what high-end tiers are for. The actual money raised at the top end vanishes into nothingness compared to the 17,000 people who have pledged between £20 and £100.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

The actual money raised at the top end vanishes into nothingness compared to the 17,000 people who have pledged between £20 and £100.

Adding up all the pledges of £150 or more totals £416,600 (approx)

That represents about 40% of the current total.

I wouldn't be so dismissive about the high end pledges

 

[The Space Pirate]

We now need well under £200,000 so I'm confident we'll make it. It's still going to be nail-biting though!

 

[Cmdr Sharky]

Adding up all the pledges of £150 or more totals £416,600 (approx)

That represents about 40% of the current total.

I wouldn't be so dismissive about the high end pledges

I'd call £100 to £1000 "mid-range" rather than "high-end". And adding a new pledge level anywhere in the £500 range upwards will raise very little extra money, a few people might shuffle up a few hundred.

 

[Jedra7609]

Kickstarter Addon Idea

Here is my addon idea...

For £50 you can get your photo on one of the advertising billboards somewhere in the galaxy in game with the phrase 'I backed Elite Dangerous'. If you find the station with the billboard with your picture on it, you get a small one-off trade discount at that station due to your celebrity status?

 

[Capt. Hook]

Its a nice idea in principle but I think that regrettably that it would somehow make the E D universe look, well like a game if "E D backed" appeared in space if you know what I mean?

I've suggested this before but as a compromise to the above, why not name very minor astro-bodies in space after pledgers as a thankyou. These would be asteroids, moon craters, comets and the like. Players would have no choice over the type of body and it would be named after them at random such as Hook's Crater, Jedra's moon etc. It would be fun perhaps for players to hunt them down if given some vague clues from the devs etc!

 

[Abysinth]

I've suggested this before but as a compromise to the above, why not name very minor astro-bodies in space after pledgers as a thankyou. These would be asteroids, moon craters, comets and the like. Players would have no choice over the type of body and it would be named after them at random such as Hook's Crater, Jedra's moon etc. It would be fun perhaps for players to hunt them down if given some vague clues from the devs etc!

What a really good idea. I like the idea of being able to find myself somewhere in the universe. like a personal mission...

 

[Jedra7609]

Fair point, but it is a game after all!

With £100K to find in a couple of days it might be a good way of generating the extra cash and I would rather see our ugly mugs in space than no space at all!

Although.... There would be the problem of people submitting pics of other people and so opening up a whole raft of image right lawsuits, so perhaps on reflection it's not such a good idea !!

 

[breakpointUK]

I like the asteroid, small moon naming idea... I would buy one for every family member and I think they for be happy with me blowing more money on ED

 

[Jedra7609]

Perhaps that's taking meta-gaming a bit *too* far...

Perhaps - but I am all for pushing the envelope and if there is to be in-game advertising, it may as well be us, the backers that are doing it!

On a more serious note, advertising at an in-game character level might be a good idea. If I am Jedra the trader of Jonty-fish (tm) should I not be able to pay to advertise that fact?

 

[Capt. Hook]

I'm all for player to player sales and for as a dynamic market place as possible but I think there has to be some guidelines/costs associated with trading, so local taxes and the the like.

Similarly, players should be able to see marketplaces for more than one system at a time - perhaps all systems within a 20 LY range? The catch is tho that to advertise their products in all planets in that range, there is a cost for the seller per system included (a fee charged at the sale placement - i.e. If I want my goods to appear in all worlds in chosen range, I have to pay an upfront tax appropriate to all worlds). Of course, all though the product is being offered for sale can be seen and possibly purchased, the player must still travel to the host product sale world to collect it.


Also I think for public sales, the marketplace should be anonymous. Player to player (contracts) are private and non-anonymous

 

[Bromley86]

A variation on the OP might be using players photos for in-game ads (fictional ones, not real-world ones). Probably more trouble than it's worth though.

 

[Cmdr Sharky]

Here is my addon idea...

For £50 you can get your photo on one of the advertising billboards somewhere in the galaxy in game with the phrase 'I backed Elite Dangerous'. If you find the station with the billboard with your picture on it, you get a small one-off trade discount at that station due to your celebrity status?

I think that that would have been a nice idea for the Founder pledge tier, but an add-on for it is ok. And if you want it a bit less gamey, how about a "The Elite need you!" recruitment poster?