Isn't it about time FD stopped selling a non Horizons based Elite and merge the content?

[Miko]

I'm unsure if this is something that will be considered or not, but seeing as Elite pits all players into the same Universe I find it increasingly surprising that the company advertise the new content for Elite on live streams, Thargoids, new tech etc (naturally confined to Horizons mostly) without considering that some players may have bought the base game thinking it to be the FULL game, only to then have to buy Horizons separately, which has all of the latest, and in my opinion, mandatory content updates locked behind it? It makes no sense that the old base game continues to be sold without any of the content updates that have made Elite a better game, therefore I feel it probably harms the impression given by the new players who might not enjoy it enough to invest in Horizons afterwards. The base game is devoid of content without planetary landings. It is just space and space stations, zero engineering and far less immersion since said players cannot enjoy any of the story based content that involves Horizons content.

It's bad enough that base gamers are put in the same universe as players who have heavily engineered ships with specialised weaponary that the base gamer simply has no means to counter.

Sell the base game on stores with Horizons from now on and do the game a favour, noting my previous point...

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

As long as they add the ability to add more than one cmdr to an account while they're doing it, yep.

They're treating both as one thing to existing users (no new season passes this year) so its stupid to sell them differently. Free trial + full. Or call the base game elite harmless and the full game elite dangerous.

 

[Marklar_]

Or call the base game elite harmless

Or Elite: AFK Account

 

[Ian Skippy]

I'm unsure if this is something that will be considered or not, but seeing as Elite pits all players into the same Universe I find it increasingly surprising that the company advertise the new content for Elite on live streams, Thargoids, new tech etc (naturally confined to Horizons mostly) without considering that some players may have bought the base game thinking it to be the FULL game, only to then have to buy Horizons separately, which has all of the latest, and in my opinion, mandatory content updates locked behind it? It makes no sense that the old base game continues to be sold without any of the content updates that have made Elite a better game, therefore I feel it probably harms the impression given by the new players who might not enjoy it enough to invest in Horizons afterwards. The base game is devoid of content without planetary landings. It is just space and space stations, zero engineering and far less immersion since said players cannot enjoy any of the story based content that involves Horizons content.

It's bad enough that base gamers are put in the same universe as players who have heavily engineered ships with specialised weaponary that the base gamer simply has no means to counter.

Make the base game Horizons from now on and do the game a favour, noting my previous point... 

I agree, when Beyond p1 is released base players without horizons should be blocked from launching the game.

Seriously though, even they get new stuff with the updates, and Horizons costs peanuts. ED + Horizons costs E20 on HB. I dont see the issue unless you really are a cheapskate. And I am Dutch, for cryin' out loud.

 

[nanite2000]

When the next paid expansion is released, I'd be totally OK with this - it would seem a logical time to merge Horizons with the base game.

As sleutelbos said - you'd have to be a bit of a cheapskate to buy the base game and not the expansion at the discounted prices.

Perhaps the base game could become a free playable demo...?

 

[Riverside]

As far as I can see the only game balance issue with the Horizons expansion is Engineering, and this is only a balancing issue as far as freeform PvP is concerned (for PvE you just get a better ship, for organised PvP you can hopefully trust other competitors to stick to whatever rules you decide for engineering).

So I see the flip side of 'merge the base game & Horizons' as 'get rid of engineering or make them sidegrades rather than straight upgrades'.
I see the latter as a sensible path to solve the problem.

 

[Oopsie Daisy]

But wouldn't the players who bought both the base game and Horizons cry "unfair, I want my mommy!"?

 

[Drelthar]

But wouldn't the players who bought both the base game and Horizons cry "unfair, I want my mommy!"?

I would. So you can safely answer yes to that.

 

[anikaiful]

Merge? Why? Get Horizons or go home.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

ED and ED Horizons package is on sale now for 20€.

Seriously, 20€. Both parts.

Just upgrade.

 

[Freelancer Knux]

Firstly Elite without horizons isnt a bad game and its what we were all happy playing before horizons came out. I personally only land on planets to access engineers and even then I find it a bother and would've preferred engineers be on anarchy stations, Heck if engineers werent in horizons I probably wouldn't have bought it.

Really though how is this different from other games with dlc? Just because you bought the base game shouldn't mean all content should be available to you regardless of how long ago it came out or if it is deemed essential by some.

 

[anikaiful]

Just because you bought the base game shouldn't mean all content should be available to you regardless of how long ago it came out or if it is deemed essential by some.

^ This, pretty much this.

 

[Miko]

Well first of all, I've spent hundreds on this game across 3 platforms (crazy, I know) and I wouldn't cry to mommy if new adopters, which the game needs, were to be given the new content seeing as the game has progressed much since the base game and frankly it's absurd the base game is still on sale. And to put plainly, I'm not specifically talking about new buyers being given horizons for free since what I'm actually emphasising mostly is that their only be one BASE game sold at whatever price for new comers with Horizons being a part of it. Current base gamers obviously would be expected to download the content manually, but as things stand, I feel the current set up with two Elites being on sale, one purporting to be the base Full game which sadly implies to most people it is the full game as advertised predominantly across the streams etc, it only serves to fragment the community further and harm sales as frankly the base game now sucks as a whole where overall content is concerned across the shared Universe.

I still think FD's strategy locking engineers behind Horzons effectively enters Elite into the realms of Pay to Win as far as PvP is concerned.

I think it's only fair they spare the confusion and rid the base game from stores and sell a bundled game by default for the higher price.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[Leadfoot]

I'm always hearing this solution to certain problems:

Exit the game to desktop.
Restart ED in the non-Horizons mode.
You'll end up in space.
Then restart ED with Horizons.

If you drop the original ED, how will that solution be usable?

 

[anikaiful]

I'm always hearing this solution to certain problems:

Exit the game to desktop.
Restart ED in the non-Horizons mode.
You'll end up in space.
Then restart ED with Horizons.

If you drop the original ED, how will that solution be usable?

The "basers" have it easy, they don't need to cope with such problems :|

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

I'm always hearing this solution to certain problems:

Exit the game to desktop.
Restart ED in the non-Horizons mode.
You'll end up in space.
Then restart ED with Horizons.

If you drop the original ED, how will that solution be usable?

Have code refactor who guarantees to have fallback within same client.

 

[Martian Successor]

Well in all fairness if you haven't bought Horizons yet and you still play ED isn't it about time you did buy it? It's £20 or if you wait for a steam sale you could probably get it for around a tenner. Beyond is a free expansion of the original Horizons Season Pass so technically it is still under the Horizons mantle. If you want Beyond, you have to purchase Horizons. Beyond isn't an individually sold expansion.

When they do finally add a "3rd Season" expansion then I would agree that they might as well merge vanilla into Horizons. But for now we still only have the vanilla game and the Horizons expansion. Beyond is part of Horizons, it is not a seperate expansion.

 

[Luniticisi]

Selling the main game as Horizons only from now on is fine, but I don't want FD to set the example that if you wait long enough you will get the updates for free.

 

[MickyG1982]

There are a few reasons why they don't do this.

1, they still have the problem of getting Mac players Horizons compatible. (Yes I know they can boot camp it, you will get your face burned off if you suggest it however).

2. The base game has much lower requirements than Horizons so can be played on the go or on a potato.

3. Ever been stuck on a planet? Ever had someone blocking the pad on an outpost?

Then imagine the salt when people find out they can't mode switch for all the goochy missions...

 

[kofeyh]

There are a few reasons why they don't do this.

1, they still have the problem of getting Mac players Horizons compatible. (Yes I know they can boot camp it, you will get your face burned off if you suggest it however).

This is actually Apple's problem; and Apple don't particularly seem to care.

2. The base game has much lower requirements than Horizons so can be played on the go or on a potato.

Sure; however a developer shouldn't be subservient to people using a PC from 2001, just because.

3. Ever been stuck on a planet? Ever had someone blocking the pad on an outpost?

Never do this; swapping from horizons to legacy and back creates well known issues with unexpected ship loss, etc.

Then imagine the salt when people find out they can't mode switch for all the goochy missions...

Huh? What has mode switching got to do with the game client version.

I'd actually like to see frontier up-dare every commander to 3, regardless of whether they hold horizons now or not; offer the older client for a limited time, but bring everyone current. People then have time to organise solutions and the developer can then close out the old code base.

Just get the entire player base up to current, as far as their account access is concerned. Given most of the new content and features are horizon's based? This seems like as good as time as any. Then hopefully the entire community and game can move on, to a unified platform.