Or at least a "Thanks for Your Interest, We're Working on a Whole New Format" page for Elite Game Extras.
Hey Cmdr! Why don't you have a cool paint job?
Or at least a "Thanks for Your Interest, We're Working on a Whole New Format" page for Elite Game Extras.
Uhhhh....
Yeah - it kind'a is.
Frontier is taking advantage of basic human psychology and how it relates to buying decisions. And like the OP stated - that free ARX (which isn't really - free that is) is no different from free drugs that drug dealers hand out to prospective and probably soon to be long term customers. Same principles apply.
Is it wrong for Frontier to use revenue generating sales techniques that work and are now and have been through most of humanity's existence used by clever salesmen almost universally?
Not really.
Unethical, maybe. Despicable, probably not. Immoral, ehhhh, depends on who you're asking, I'd say. Deplorable - yeah - depending on whose doing it and for what reason.
Point Is: Just be aware that the technique Frontier is using with ARX plays to a natural weakness in the typical human being's decision making process and act accordingly.
Forewarned is Forearmed as the saying goes.
But just like those free drugs, you can live a long, healthy, productive life with out cosmetics too. And taking advantage of psychology is a fundamental principle of sales and marketing, and everybody who has something to sell does this in one form or another. The smart consumers are aware of this and don't fall for it.
Which is why I want a Hula Dancer for my dashboard. Had one that went in each of my first 3 or 4 cars, and the memories.... oh to be that young and irresponsible again....
Well that’s a trash take if I’ve ever seen one. Just play the game man. Arx doesn’t matterDisclaimers:
Ahem! So, I've never posted on this forum before, but I've been around since the week Elite: Dangerous was released. I paid the full, AAA-game MSRP price tag for it. And I'm ok with that. It was a very pretty game, with a very enjoyable flight mechanic, one whole galaxy wide, even if it was only an inch deep. It seemed a little lacking in mechanics at the time, but it had promise, and there was plenty a promise made about the good things to come. And hey, there's some pretty paint jobs in the webstore! But let's hang around a while and see what this game grows into...
- This is a rant. If you aren't interested in hearing a rant, feel free to click the back button on your browser now.
- This rant is kind of long winded and loaded with sarcasm. If you're still reading, you should go and get a drink, and maybe lean your chair back.
- I am not an industry professional. I don't know the inner workings of Frontier or the details of their accounting and business models.
- I am, however, a gainfully employed adult. I can afford things, I just find some of them to be not worth the price tag.
- This is an account of my personal experiences and the resulting perspective of such. Also, I'm kind of a jerk.
Oh, I see. It's grown a DLC. A DLC that costs near as much as the game itself. A DLC that "unlocks" all the neat, exciting features one would expect to be a part of the core mechanics of the game. A DLC that is required to access engineers, irrefutably a huge advantage over any CMDR with stock parts for just about any play type. And Multi-Crew, which is a cute gimmick, if a little buggy still, but nobody really uses it because it's just a disadvantage all around. There's no real point in doing it.
Well, interesting. Guess it's time to shell out some more cash for all of this new content that is definitely above and beyond the expectations of the base, AAA-priced game. Personally, I took a break from Elite and waited for it to go on sale. And this is fine. I, myself, am not going to shell out more money still for aesthetics at this point. For it's credit, Elite has grown quite a bit in its depth of gameplay over the years. Fighting aliens is cool, even though I think most of us are still at a big net Cr loss there. Still no sign of these "space legs" I keep hearing about-
Oh, they might be in the next paid DLC? I mean, ok. I guess Frontier has to make some fresh income somehow-hey-wait-a-second. What's this ARX thing now? A new way to earn pew pew colors and bobble heads in the game!? Oh happy day! I'm so excited! Let's go! How long will it take me, at the weekly cap of 400, to slap some of those pointy spikes and a mean looking piratey paint job on my ship? About... nine months? Wow uh.... ok I guess. Well, um, I guess I'll go grind out that weekly cap then.
Off to the asteroid ring I go. Still no word on how much these upcoming fleet carriers will cost, so I guess I'll blow up some big, gray space rocks for little, shiny space rocks. That pays well, and it's genuinely enjoyable to do, being one of the newer mechanics and all. A few hours one day, a few hours the next, and what a haul! Let's just find a nice, high-demand station and cash out... 210 Million Cr! Nice! Now for that cherry on top, let's log out and see how many ARX all this lucrative mining earns. Wait for it... Yeah buddy! A whole... wait, six?
SIX?
...
...
...
What the @#$%?
* It's at this point that I expect the white knights among you to be panting heavily over your keyboards, fingers flying in a flurry of Cheetos dust: "Well! But! Actually! Frontier doesn't have to give you any ARX for free! You should be grateful! If you're so upset about not having a paint job like mine, why don't you open your wallet-"
Ok ok, that's enough. I've gotten that part out of the way for you, so you don't need to.
See, I'm ok with the pretty aesthetics being in the webstore. I'm not personally inclined to shell out for them myself, but if that's what you want to do, more power to you. But Frontier has chosen to dangle the prospect of "earning your aesthetics in game," while structuring it such that making actual, tangible use of it requires several hours of grindy play per day, several days a week, every week for months.
Or! You could spend a few bucks to supplement your pitiful in-game earnings! There, look at that pretty paint job you've totally earned with your hard work! Want another one? Just loosen those purse strings a little more!
"Free ARX" is a gateway drug.
"Free ARX" is a distraction from the real purpose of ARX: obscuring the real world price of in-game purchases.
"Free ARX" is Frontier jumping the bandwagon of manipulative, predatory game industry practices, and it is intended entirely to exploit you.
Keep an eye out for special lootboxes on alien homeworlds in the next season! Keys purchasable in the ARX store!
Anyway, back to blowing up rocks.
Fly safe, cmdrs o7,
Erro
I'd say the same about every shop which prices things at (e.g.) £4.99 instead of £5. Which is every shop, in the town and online. I can't see any justification for hoo-haa about free stuff which we didn't have a few weeks ago though.
Disclaimers:
- This is a rant. If you aren't interested in hearing a rant, feel free to click the back button on your browser now.
I should have stopped at this point.
This is an older crowd than most games attract and with experience one learns that There Is No Free Lunch.
There is one trend I have noticed. Those complaining about free Arx and how the mere act of getting something for free is a precursor to a lifetime addiction of online shopping all, without fail, state that it won't happen to them cos they are so damn smart. So who will it effect, is it only the feeble of the mind, the weak willed, the intellectually handicapped? Are they talking about people of a certain age group or ethnic background? Who are the multitudes who will be drawn into this evil spiral of buying cosmetics for a game that is so soul destroying?
Maybe once we can identify and define those who will be effected (since it isn't anyone who doesn't like free Arxs because they all know the danger) we can rally around these poor unfortunate souls an help them brake this terrible addiction.
Maybe once we can identify and define those who will be effected (since it isn't anyone who doesn't like free Arxs because they all know the danger) we can rally around these poor unfortunate souls an help them brake this terrible addiction.
If you wanna buy fake currency with you cash, go right ahead
o7
And you can continue to complain, whine and cry about every aspect of the game
This argument would hold more water if ED was played primarily by 12 year olds like Fortnite is. If a bunch of middle-age and retired old men and women can't control your impulses, well then you all need some therapy.
Well said.
I wish I could rep you more then once.
All who complain are seeing through this devious plot by Fdev, err not so devious but rather transparent then right?
I don't know how these people manage to watch tv, commercials are slung around every couple minutes, or walking through main street, ugh all those sales posters, it's not realy a sale, it's a plot to lure you in spending more, more and even more!!!!!
Soon Fdev will have us in their filthy greedy claws and devour us because we have absolutely no idea about how to spend money wisely.
Ugh, I worked hard, very hard for years, to be where I am now, financially independend, by next year this will all be gone because Fdev introduced ARX, the most irresistible, remorseless and mind numbing cash grab they could come up with.
Give me a break....
Hell-of-a first post. What did it say? I gave you a , just for 's and giggles.
, just for 's and giggles. Thanks, like you I am wondering how these poor unfortunate souls survive day to day life. Just imagine, they walk into their local supermarket and walk right into someone handing out FREE cheese. Yes it might only be one small cube of cheese with a toothpick through it, but it is enough. These people will now buy a trolley full of cheese, even if they are lactose intolerant, just because they got ONE SMALL PIECE OF CHEESE.
