The financial argument for free, universal ship names

[kpmop]

I agree with the OP - I don't mind paying for a nameplate (depending on the price) but it seems a little off that our ship names aren't visible to other players if we don't pay for it.

Maybe FD can justify their thinking - e.g. someone has to manually vet all the ship names (no I don't think so either - I'm straw-clutching here...)

On the other hand - where can I get one of those squee-gees?! Do the have them in blue?

 

[Winterwalker]

Mrs. Trellis of North Wales - sort of Ok.
Gopher A'Slash - perhaps not so much.

Hang on, they're both great! (imo, lol)

Even more cosmetic than paintjobs and decals I think, if your ship name can be 'seen' on scan up 1000Ls away, much further line of sight than the visual range of paintjobs. I'll be buying and value a 'plain' name plate MORE, than one with added clipart myself (so please work that one out, if argung plain plates should be free?)

 

[amigacooke]

Put me down as another who thinks it's unacceptable to charge just to have a ship name appear to others and unwise not to have a basic free hull plate.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

I personally support the charge for name plates. A free basic, personal name plate that isNOT displayed to anyone else scanning you is essential. A free nameplate that shows up on a scan allows any user to share their names, even them who don't care about them. Those who don't care about them will most likely abuse this feature and we will be provided witu 'creative' names such as:

Your Mama
butt
My e-peen
Fartinator
John-Rammer
Etc.

I wish to not read the low quality names that are not even worth to be consieered as a meme.
A free public name plate will alow just that, the spread of troll information which simply doesn't fit into Elite and I can guarantee that this will be a new reason to destroy CMDR ships in open. Bad names don't deserve a ship.
Paying a small amount of money makes the trolls to think twice wheather or not it is worth to spend cash for a bad joke, thus significantly reducing the amount of stupid ship troll names that are displayed in my extraordinary cockpit.

 

[DukeIronHand]

Paying a small amount of money makes the trolls to think twice wheather or not it is worth to spend cash for a bad joke, thus significantly reducing the amount of stupid ship troll names that are displayed in my extraordinary cockpit.

You would like to think that perhaps but you are talking about Cmdr's who spend 100's of hours just to Engineer and buy a ship to gank newbies. Yep. Bless Solo mode.

 

[Yaffle]

Yup, I was cold on the idea of paying for a generic nameplate, but paying to allow others to see a ship name in the HUD is a step too far.

I would suggest the way to effect change is to vote with wallets. Simply don't buy it, that's my basic plan.

 

[L.S Algir]

I support OP's post and arguments . I totally agrre with that. I don't care about paying some cosmetic stuff but I refuse to pay for something which relies on others payments for me to enjoy the full feature of it .

 

[Cosmos]

Double dipping is not cool..

[video=youtube_share;KLOyChP2AWA]https://youtu.be/KLOyChP2AWA[/video]

And whilst putting the name on ship can be considered cosmetic, it being displayed in game, via HUD, comms etc, is game functionality.

Oh, and not to put too finer point on it, I've already paid for this stuff:

 

[Hooplah]

...If you charge for nameplates, there will be a percentage who will pay it, but there will be a far larger percentage who don't...

This is an assumption and not factual. That bugs me at times going with an unproven premise then developing an argument using it. This would work better as, "If you charge for nameplates, there will be a percentage who will pay it, but what if there is a far larger percentage who don't?".

I know I'm picky but the revised version doesn't imply a fact that doesn't actually exist yet. Thus a less negative reaction to start with in a post and still gets the point across. It's those subtle negatives that get responders riled up!

Regards

 

[Titus Balls]

So yea, Frontier have messed up on this one.

I have zero issue paying for name plates to display the name on my ship, which anyone will only be able to ever see in normal space.

But to have the name not even show up on a scan in Supercruise, where there is ZERO chance of seeing the name plate that smacks of not only greed, but a really poorly implemented feature.

So either, names show up on scans with no need for name plates, or give everyone a free basic name plate.

I suspect giving away a free one will result in more money overall for Frontier - first bite of the pie is free - but when you nickle and dime every feature, people tend to not want to spend that money.

 

[tafkabb]

I can only speak for myself. I'd have bought a name plate, I've bought just about everything else. But even I have a line.

Other CMDRs cannot see the name of your ship on their scanner unless you've bought a nameplate. That's not cosmetic DLC, it's locking game features behind a paywall. It's opportunistic, mean-spirited and churlish, and I won't be naming my ships.

 

[Komemiute]

No matter if we pay for nameplates or if they are free you won't see any of them in hyper space, super cruise or flying by at the local station unless you stop and hover over the other ship. So, what is the point of all the over reaction?

QFT. Get some rep.

 

[Bortas]

And whilst putting the name on ship can be considered cosmetic, it being displayed in game, via HUD, comms etc, is game functionality.

Inhowfar is your target being identified as "Anaconda" instead of "Bananaconda" impacting the functionality of the game?

 

[wstephenson]

2 better default name suggestions:

Ship type abbreviation + Some hash of player data + player ship index

OR

Used ships in the shipyard with procedurally generated names, module damage, paintjob wear, hull degradation, at a discount.

New ships come with one free rename.

In both cases, pay to rename - buy blocks of 10 renames for £5 for example.

This even adds an extra monetisation layer for FD on top of the (rightfully paid) ship name and ID cosmetic plates.

 

[Cosmos]

Inhowfar is your target being identified as "Anaconda" instead of "Bananaconda" impacting the functionality of the game?

I never said it did, what I did state was that it was game functionality. That differs to it being a 'cosmetic item'.

 

[wstephenson]

No matter if we pay for nameplates or if they are free you won't see any of them in hyper space, super cruise or flying by at the local station unless you stop and hover over the other ship. So, what is the point of all the over reaction?

It's not about the plates, it's about not seeing the name on scan (for me at least). As soon as you see a player ship without a name you are reminded that this is due to an external mechanism. Immersion--. And yes, I'd like it if all NPCs had names or IDs.

 

[JeffRyan]

I honestly thought this was a mistake by Sandro because it's so absolutely ridiculous. No problem with nameplates being paid for so I've stayed out of this argument, but locking the scan behind a paywall is ridiculous. I'm totally pro-shop and keeping paintjobs and other things free and I don't agree with the OP about giving a free selection of things, but this is silly.

 

[rucky]

Inhowfar is your target being identified as "Anaconda" instead of "Bananaconda" impacting the functionality of the game?

You've ever heard of "immersion" or "society"?

My bet is its going to be like the weapon colours,

Buy once and use on all ships

My bet is per NAME. You get a nameplate with your added name to it, wanna change? Pay again. But you can name all your 30 ships "The one and only"...

 

[Cosmos]

I honestly thought this was a mistake by Sandro because it's so absolutely ridiculous. No problem with nameplates being paid for so I've stayed out of this argument, but locking the scan behind a paywall is ridiculous. I'm totally pro-shop and keeping paintjobs and other things free and I don't agree with the OP about giving a free selection of things, but this is silly.

Last time I checked the game wasn't free.

 

[JeffRyan]

I truly hope Frontier reverse course on this, it's a PR-disaster in the making.