Premium content

[Dagwit]

I doubt Frontier even know themselves what it will be yet. It will be a tough decision for them to make having to balance it between being good enough for the lifetime pass owners and not too good to upset the rest of the players.

If it's something they're planning to release this year then it must already be pretty close to being finished.

When you look at Frontier's other big game, Planet Coaster, it's clear they've already developed some pretty sophisticated base-building technology. Since they've already got it, they'd be mugs not to monetize it further by selling it to us. Design your own stations, megaships and planetary bases.

The galaxy can spare a system to hide your rubbish in, and anything half-decent and not bearing too much resemblance to a masculine appendage could even be included in the rest of the game. We build out the human content of the galaxy and pay Frontier for the privilege!

 

[Stealthie]

$29.95 Fleet Carrier, Q4, right before XMas.

Saved me the effort.

Problem is, they can't really introduce anything which might be considered "pay to win" so we're not likely to see stuff like new ships or modules as premium content.
Really, it needs to be an entirely new, abstract, "thing" so that people who don't have it will never find themselves at a disadvantage when they meet up with people who do have it.

If (and I'm not saying they will), for example, they introduced space-legs, that'd be fine because people who didn't buy it would simply never meet up with those who did.
If, OTOH, they introduced, say, custom shipbuilders who could create pre-engineered ships, that'd suck because people who bought it could meet up with people who hadn't and it'd give them an advantage.

Not entirely sure that FDev is going about this the right way.
By making Horizons paid content they have, effectively, split players into two uneven demographics, have created a "pay to win" environment (because people who have access to Engineers will have an advantage over those who don't) and they've restricted their ability to implement other changes to the game.

Maybe it'd be better if they just made all the core gameplay part of the basic package and did sell things like ships as premium content instead?


But, yeah. My guess would be that Fleet Carriers will be the next premium content.
They've already tested out the functionality of it with the Gnosis so they know it works but it probably takes some effort to put them into the game so it's justifiable to charge for them.

Personally, I'd seriously consider buying one just to create a "base" for all my ships which I could move all around the galaxy (presumably limited to once a week/month/whatever).

 

[Henri]

well if it is as premium as multicrew....
man that was so premium it is ripe!

 

[Riverside]

Missed this thread the first time.

Horizons added a layer of planetary content that didn't affect the base game, it was extra stuff to do. But then it introduced Engineers with straight upgrades (rather than allowing optimising loadout with balancing downsides). Multicrew, passenger missions and Holo-Me were stuff that could have been separate DLCs, SLFs & NPC crew were base game improvements IMO (as Engineering should have been).

I was expecting 2.4 to be a superpower war, because the Thargoid & Guardian content was ideal DLC pickings, with even more content available for customers that bought that and Horizons.

So new DLC should add an optional layer to the game. Spacelegs would do this, so would Atmospheric landings or opening up some of the permit-locked regions in the galaxy.

If it's trinkets like new ships or modules I'll be disappointed, they should be additions to the base game, or legitimately part of an expansion (as with passenger missions & passenger ships).

Really I'm just waiting for more planets to be accessible, and stuff to find & interact with on them. The lack of any communication about this for this long is disgraceful imo.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Saved me the effort.

Problem is, they can't really introduce anything which might be considered "pay to win" so we're not likely to see stuff like new ships or modules as premium content.
Really, it needs to be an entirely new, abstract, "thing" so that people who don't have it will never find themselves at a disadvantage when they meet up with people who do have it.

If (and I'm not saying they will), for example, they introduced space-legs, that'd be fine because people who didn't buy it would simply never meet up with those who did.
If, OTOH, they introduced, say, custom shipbuilders who could create pre-engineered ships, that'd suck because people who bought it could meet up with people who hadn't and it'd give them an advantage.

Not entirely sure that FDev is going about this the right way.
By making Horizons paid content they have, effectively, split players into two uneven demographics, have created a "pay to win" environment (because people who have access to Engineers will have an advantage over those who don't) and they've restricted their ability to implement other changes to the game.

Maybe it'd be better if they just made all the core gameplay part of the basic package and did sell things like ships as premium content instead?


But, yeah. My guess would be that Fleet Carriers will be the next premium content.
They've already tested out the functionality of it with the Gnosis so they know it works but it probably takes some effort to put them into the game so it's justifiable to charge for them.

Personally, I'd seriously consider buying one just to create a "base" for all my ships which I could move all around the galaxy (presumably limited to once a week/month/whatever).

If they're basically static megaships, like the Gnosis, there's no "win" factor - just a mobile micro-station that can't be destroyed, but also does not generate any bonus for the ships it takes out for violating the NFZ or pad loitering.

And Elite without Horizons feels like a little less than half a game. I feel bad for the what, 10 or 12 Mac players out there? ;-) Paid twice as much for half as much computer, and get less than half the game.

 

[Riverside]

If they're basically static megaships, like the Gnosis, there's no "win" factor - just a mobile micro-station that can't be destroyed, but also does not generate any bonus for the ships it takes out for violating the NFZ or pad loitering.

While I agree they would work as DLC, they have already been announced as part of the free stuff, so making some (or all) of that content premium wouldn't go down well.

 

[Mengy]

Whatever the premium content is, my hunch is it will be some new feature which adds a lot of monetization opportunities to the game. Something which can flooded with new cosmetic store items.

So, what new feature could present lots of chances for people to buy new cosmetics?

I'm betting we'll be getting basic Elite Feet this year as a paid feature.

There are a lot of signs that they've been building up to this honestly. The commander creator allowed us to customize our avatars and opened up a slew of new cosmetics to buy, and Frontier has been very busy making a lot of DLC to dress up our commanders. However we don't have any real opportunities in the game to make use of these, other than in screen shots sitting in our pilots seats. If we could get up and walk around a bit, even pose together with other commanders, it would greatly boost people's desire to deck their commanders out in all the cosmetic DLC's.

So I think we'll get the ability to walk around our ships this year, and probably even walk around planet surfaces. It will most likely be limited to ships and planets at first, maybe EVA's in space too, but stations and such won't come until much later, that's a lot of art assets which will take time to implement. Ship interiors though, well the bridges are all already done, and ship interior layouts can be built modularly from a bunch of similar "blocks". It would also allow ship interior customizing, presenting a whole mess of new cosmetic DLC possibilities to sell on the store. Think posters and flags to hang on walls, colors to paint ship interiors, steps and railing detailing, fancy interior lighting, etc.

That's my guess at any rate.

 

[Artistik]

What's the favourite? What's got the best odds, if one was a betting sort?

New galaxy, with another 400 billion stars to explore and tag with your username, but you have to pay for a jump engine big enough to get you there.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Agreed.... all logical speculation points towards Atmospheric landing (of the non life bearing Varity). Btw I approve of your Lancaster themed signature. Fine aircraft they were.

This machine I find particulary pleasing on the lug hole.

https://youtu.be/w1igQoRqpBA

That should be our next ship.

 

[Deareim]

Premiun bots ?

 

[Patrick_68000]

I think for the time being we can safely disregard landing on atmospheric planets.

Yes it's far too premature

 

[Patrick_68000]

Why? I suspect I may be basic atmospheric planets. I don't think it will be earthlikes planets or planets with complex life on them. But something like mars of today, I see No reason why they couldn't do that.

Why do you and others think differently?

I do not see the landings on the atmospheric planets (even lifeless planets) in "Beyond"

For me the atmospheric landings will be a distinct and progressive theme over one or two years, which will start with what you say and will end in apotheosis with the fauna and flora

Perhaps, the development of this new theme will start "officially" at the beginning of 2019 (or 2020) and will end at the end of 2020(2021)

Although I suspect, Frontier has already started the development based on the achievements of Zoo Tycoon, Planet Coaster and Jurassik World

 

[SMcA]

Agreed.... all logical speculation points towards Atmospheric landing (of the non life bearing Varity). Btw I approve of your Lancaster themed signature. Fine aircraft they were.

This machine I find particulary pleasing on the lug hole.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/w1igQoRqpBA

I saw that machine flying low over the factory I where was working in 2013. The video does not really show the scale. There were two spitfires flying alongside. They looked like flies beside an eagle.

 

[bitstorm]

Named system (or planet or station) please =p

Perhaps even a yearly £35 voucher for cosmetics would be enough? (though not very interesting)

 

[iFred]

Well, I still wait to see stuff they showed at the Elite Meet in 2016 in Cologne, namely accretion disks and all the other stuff for enhancing the visuals of the universe. They showed a short video talking with one of the devs and showed some footage, but thats now 1,5 years ago and there´s still nothing of that in the game.

There´s also a video out there showing weather effects on atmospheric planets including DB-interview but hey - that´s all speculation.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Saved me the effort.

Problem is, they can't really introduce anything which might be considered "pay to win" so we're not likely to see stuff like new ships or modules as premium content.
Really, it needs to be an entirely new, abstract, "thing" so that people who don't have it will never find themselves at a disadvantage when they meet up with people who do have it.

If (and I'm not saying they will), for example, they introduced space-legs, that'd be fine because people who didn't buy it would simply never meet up with those who did.
If, OTOH, they introduced, say, custom shipbuilders who could create pre-engineered ships, that'd suck because people who bought it could meet up with people who hadn't and it'd give them an advantage.

Not entirely sure that FDev is going about this the right way.
By making Horizons paid content they have, effectively, split players into two uneven demographics, have created a "pay to win" environment (because people who have access to Engineers will have an advantage over those who don't) and they've restricted their ability to implement other changes to the game.

Maybe it'd be better if they just made all the core gameplay part of the basic package and did sell things like ships as premium content instead?


But, yeah. My guess would be that Fleet Carriers will be the next premium content.
They've already tested out the functionality of it with the Gnosis so they know it works but it probably takes some effort to put them into the game so it's justifiable to charge for them.

Personally, I'd seriously consider buying one just to create a "base" for all my ships which I could move all around the galaxy (presumably limited to once a week/month/whatever).

Fleet carriers are not premium content as they will be part of the Beyond series of updates.

It will need to be something more than just Fleet carriers. It will be something permanent, like possibly other types of planet to land on. It could be personal base building, it could be the beginnings of space legs.

It's needs to be something everyone could use. Fleet carriers will only be for a subset of commanders.

 

[eqinox]

Well, I still wait to see stuff they showed at the Elite Meet in 2016 in Cologne, namely accretion disks and all the other stuff for enhancing the visuals of the universe. They showed a short video talking with one of the devs and showed some footage, but thats now 1,5 years ago and there´s still nothing of that in the game.

There´s also a video out there showing weather effects on atmospheric planets including DB-interview but hey - that´s all speculation.

They showed accretion disks Please tell more!!

 

[two quiet suns]

Pay-To-Whine

 

[Eminor]

For premium content, my totally out there, wishful thinking, gratuitously fanciful hope is that there will be [small] private lunar bases to "buy".
This wouldn't be classed as Pay To Win (it wouldn't add any extra offensive/defensive capability to your ships).
Would be good for roleplay and possibly for reasons of convenience.
Could add some new gameplay features (resupply/restock the base).
And have some simple rules about where you can place them - bases not allowed on engineer moons, or within 100 KM of another existing structure, etc.

Oh well, a guy can dream...

 

[TieKnee]

The ability to build your own mini base on land-able planets and the start of space-legs... walking around in buildings/areas to get missions etc.... this for me would be good but only FD know for sure!!!