"Beyond" free for Horizon owners - LEP musings

[babelfisch]

And now?
Who's complaining now?! The SAME PEOPLE that defended FDEV and the Game and the price model and anything time versus money related!

Really guys. Look into your mirror and then make some head banging!

Wrong. It's the same people that have always been complaining. Seriously, check their post history. Most of them are complaining since the removal of offline mode. They don't complain because they are upset about something but just because they hate the game and want it to fail really hard. It's their personal crusade. Because they said "the game is dead if you don't listen to me" so many times, they blame the game for being wrong all the time. It's all pretty ridiculous.

 

[Whitehair]

I have a solution. FD should introduce a two tier pricing system.

Everyone except LEP holders get the next year for free. LEP holders are charged a normal price for the years updates, say 10 GBP each major release, as that works out to be 40 GBP for the year.

LEP holders then use their LEP to get the updates for free. LEP holders get the value they must have from their LEP, and the poor people who never had the chance or the money to purchase one get the content for nothing. Everyone happy with free content

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Problem is, they didn't cut staff. There are still over 100 people working on ED.

I wonder how many FTEs are directly working on the game (as opposed to community folk, marketing etc and FTEs (full time equivalents) may be more relevant than just numbers).***
Given how much content we have seen for horizons over last 2 years I was convinced FD were full steam ahead on a dlc#2 that would be announced as largely feature complete last week for an early 2018 launch after a couple of core patches. I was wrong

*** I don't expect an answer it's just me pndering

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

DBOBE is the largest, but not the majority, shareholder. And don't get into that definition game again, Max.

I can of I want to. But I can't be bothered at the moment.

 

[WR3ND]

I have a solution. FD should introduce a two tier pricing system.

Everyone except LEP holders get the next year for free. LEP holders are charged a normal price for the years updates, say 10 GBP each major release, as that works out to be 40 GBP for the year.

LEP holders then use their LEP to get the updates for free. LEP holders get the value they must have from their LEP, and the poor people who never had the chance or the money to purchase one get the content for nothing. Everyone happy with free content

Shenanigans aside, technically the content isn't free either way; it's at no additional cost for Horizons and LEP license owners.

More specifically to your point though, I don't see most or necessarily any of the LEP owners "complaining" about there being more "free" content; they'd just like to see the eventual value of their significantly higher purchase price fulfilled, which your "suggestion" does not address.

 

[Whitehair]

No additional cost = free

From the live stream: "Free to Horizon owners"

 

[babelfisch]

I wonder how many FTEs are directly working on the game (as opposed to community folk, marketing etc and FTEs (full time equivalents) may be more relevant than just numbers).***
Given how much content we have seen for horizons over last 2 years I was convinced FD were full steam ahead on a dlc#2 that would be announced as lately feature complete last week for an early 2018 launch after a couple of core patches. I was writing.g

*** I don't expect an answer it's just me pndering

Personally I am almost sure that they have been working on Expansion 3 (not "beyond") for quite some time and just started working on Expansion 4. They went into full production for Horizons in early 2015. If they announce a big update for 2019 it's very likely that they have worked on it for 2-3 years.

Most games take 5-7 years to develop. Expansions usually are a little bit faster, but that's because expansions are usually just a few new maps/levels, skins, items and a short story line. You don't need a whole production team for it. Frontier is creating entirely new games with completely new features instead. That takes time.

 

[WR3ND]

No additional cost = free

From the live stream: "Free to Horizon owners"

Sort of, but more accurately, already paid for, or included, if you prefer.

 

[Whitehair]

Sort of, but more accurately, already paid for, or included, if you prefer.

What is your point? It doesn't need to be paid for, that is the bottom line. Nit picking about what words are the most accurate is pedantry and pointless.

 

[WR3ND]

What is your point? It doesn't need to be paid for, that is the bottom line. Nit picking about what words are the most accurate is pedantry and pointless.

That LEP owners already paid for it and that Horizons owners already paid for it as well. But then again, I can only guess that you weren't really trying to be serious with the post you made either. So yeah, moot point.

 

[Whitehair]

That LEP owners already paid for it and that Horizons owners already paid for it as well. But then again, I can only guess that you weren't really trying to be serious with the post you made either. So yeah, moot point.

Glad you finally finished your coffee

 

[WR3ND]

Glad you finally finished your coffee

Coffee stout a few hours ago. But now that you mention it, a hot coffee mocha might be nice too. It's a cold and rainy night here.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

. Nit picking about what words are the most accurate is pedantry and pointless.

And your comment about Lep owners wasn't?, esp as, as a Lep owner my worry has nothing to do with what horizons buyers get free. Either you know this and just like strawmen or..... Well I won't go down that road.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Wrong. It's the same people that have always been complaining. Seriously, check their post history. Most of them are complaining since the removal of offline mode. They don't complain because they are upset about something but just because they hate the game and want it to fail really hard. It's their personal crusade. Because they said "the game is dead if you don't listen to me" so many times, they blame the game for being wrong all the time. It's all pretty ridiculous.

/standing ovation

 

[Whitehair]

And your comment about Lep owners wasn't?, esp as, as a Lep owner my worry has nothing to do with what horizons buyers get free. Either you know this and just like strawmen or..... Well I won't go down that road.

You don't seem to like me poking fun at the ridiculous positions people have adopted. I think the whole thing is a stupid drama, blown up by people with little perspective, about nothing.

Anyone thinking my post was a serious proposal seriously need to take time off from the forums and get a good dose of perspective back.

 

[WR3ND]

Wrong. It's the same people that have always been complaining. Seriously, check their post history. Most of them are complaining since the removal of offline mode. They don't complain because they are upset about something but just because they hate the game and want it to fail really hard. It's their personal crusade. Because they said "the game is dead if you don't listen to me" so many times, they blame the game for being wrong all the time. It's all pretty ridiculous.

Not very relevant to what people are talking about in this thread either way though, at least those who are staying on topic.

I also doubt people who got the LEP at the Horizons announcement (such as the OP) would be complaining much of there being a lack of an off-line mode. I certainly am not.

 

[Riverside]

He probably doesn't know what an LEP is and was confusing it with the "season pass." [hehe]

In all seriousness, it isn't always the easiest thing to keep track of all this stuff, and I've seen examples of confusion on the dev and community management side of things as well in the past, not just the player base.

Frontier sometime seem like they could use a more pronounced market/product ace on the inside (i.e., not a marketing agency) that keeps all this stuff sorted. The mess with Steam early on in Horizons points to that need as well. Thankfully they did sort that out eventually though. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/202994-Elite-Dangerous-Horizons-Steam-Access

I'm not trying to assign blame or anything like that by stating this, just acknowledging that it can sometimes be a challenge. There's nothing to indicate that Frontier don't have the best intentions, and in general I think they do a great job.

...

To be clear, what he said there wasn't factually inaccurate or anything, though at the time it did seem to suggest that they would be talking about future paid-for expansions as well. Us being LEP owners get the mentioned content too though, obviously, which in regard to his post, would seem to be more relevant to the backer LEPs that got the LEPs before the ones offered at the Horizons announcement and pre-sale.

This is just speculation on my part, but if I had to guess, the next paid-for expansion will likely include some atmospheric worlds and gas giants. The 4Q '18 art goal and earlier talks with David Braben this year/last year (?) about gas giants and what sort of gameplay that might entail seem to point in that direction somewhat as well.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/ypIq3fg9nMM

I had a longer reply but it contained the word 'hopefully' way too many times so I scrapped it

I am uncomfortable with this situation. More research required

 

[WR3ND]

You don't seem to like me poking fun at the ridiculous positions people have adopted. I think the whole thing is a stupid drama, blown up by people with little perspective, about nothing.

Anyone thinking my post was a serious proposal seriously need to take time off from the forums and get a good dose of perspective back.

More like you just made a poor straw-man analogy based on your biassed perception of others in this thread in general and were called out on it. But whatever helps you sleep at night, I suppose.

Personally, I'm up rather late, well, early now, as the case may be.

 

[mojonaut]

As a LEP owner and knowing FD are a business who's objective is to make a profit, I can only wonder at how the boardroom meeting went when it was suggested a whole years worth of output be given away free/no additional cost to Horizons/LEP owners..

My only conclusion is to avoid the ensuing shi tstorm and damage that actually charging for it would have brought

Fair play to them for that, I've no regrets with buying the LEP or the Beyond package being offered to Horizons players either.

 

[Cupcake]

Considering that the next "updates" are going to be QoL stuff and bug fixes for the most part, yeah I would feel peeved if I was an LEP owner.