Are we OK with Frontier's gifts to our YouTubers?

DiaperLord

D
I wasn't sure whether to post this or not for a few days - conflicted - and this is the least of our problems with the game right now.

In case you don't know, the release of Odyssey included gifts of planets, cities, bases, etc to our YouTubers. In my experience game companies make great efforts not to provide certain players with in-game advantage over other players but it seems that's not the case here? Until now I had thought of our YouTubers as /our/ YouTubers but try as I might I can't any more. They are now an "Elite" class of uber-commanders with access to resource that isn't available to the player base as a whole and that seems like a problem to me, or is it? Am I over-reacting? In my opinion our YouTubers provide us with valuable service (especially to new players) and they are worthy of reward - but from us - not from Frontier. By granting such magnificent and spectacular gifts to our YouTubers how can this not have influence over the content they produce? At the very least we mere mortals should rethink whether certain YouTubers need our continued donations and patreons since it seems clear now that Frontier will support them in ways we can't possibly hope to match.

I would like to hear from Frontier on the policy with regards to these sorts of rewards and whether they will continue in the future. Will certain players get unique ships or modules inaccessible to the rest of us with the console release (for example?). Is there a list of the recipients of these gifts available? I don't have infinite patreon dollars to spread around so I would prefer to support creators who are not in debt to Frontier in this way - they need it more.
 

Wendake

Wendake
DiaperLord said:
I wasn't sure whether to post this or not for a few days - conflicted - and this is the least of our problems with the game right now.

In case you don't know, the release of Odyssey included gifts of planets, cities, bases, etc to our YouTubers. In my experience game companies make great efforts not to provide certain players with in-game advantage over other players but it seems that's not the case here? Until now I had thought of our YouTubers as /our/ YouTubers but try as I might I can't any more. They are now an "Elite" class of uber-commanders with access to resource that isn't available to the player base as a whole and that seems like a problem to me, or is it? Am I over-reacting? In my opinion our YouTubers provide us with valuable service (especially to new players) and they are worthy of reward - but from us - not from Frontier. By granting such magnificent and spectacular gifts to our YouTubers how can this not have influence over the content they produce? At the very least we mere mortals should rethink whether certain YouTubers need our continued donations and patreons since it seems clear now that Frontier will support them in ways we can't possibly hope to match.

I would like to hear from Frontier on the policy with regards to these sorts of rewards and whether they will continue in the future. Will certain players get unique ships or modules inaccessible to the rest of us with the console release (for example?). Is there a list of the recipients of these gifts available? I don't have infinite patreon dollars to spread around so I would prefer to support creators who are not in debt to Frontier in this way - they need it more.
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lol
 

FaolGlas

FaolGlas
I don't think those gifts do anything - it was basically that they got to name them (which is what has happened many times right back to first release, where users have got to name stations, bases etc.)

"Will certain players get unique ships or modules inaccessible to the rest of us " - this is not what has happened here, they were just asked "If you could name a base, what would you call it?" and then a base was given that name. Nothing unique, nothing affecting what they can do in game, nothing inaccessible to the rest of us.
 

HRDiagram

HRDiagram
What?

Gifts of planets, cities, bases etc.? Some settlements/bases were named after some youtubers. It's purely cosmetic, they don't own anything, have no control over anything and it does not give them any game advantage whatsoever.

And then you go on a tangent about supplying special ships, modules, recipes, etc.?
Are you sure you're talking about ED?

I am sure some will be super powerful with some cactuses in their room, however, that's clearly unfair.

Yes, you're overreacting.
 

FaolGlas

FaolGlas
On the physical gifts, now after release I wish that money had been spent on developer time ;) Also, I hope Yamiks got to name a base and was sent some plants and rocks in a bowl ;)
 

CmdrKull

C
Obsidian Ant had Obsidian Orbital for a looong time before Odyssey, right? So this isn't new. It's something for them to make a video about, and for their fans to take a journey to see it, and I don't see how this creates any sort of conflict. Because it might make them feel positively about the game? I feel positively about the game, and I'm neither a streamer nor have I got any stations named after me.
 

CMDR_LS

C
it's a form of bribery. They get a POI named after them/their channel and a glass bowl with air plants and small 3D printed cobra. In exchange, the streamer is expected to "pretend" Odyssey is SO MUCH FUN, and recommend it to his viewers regardless of the state of the game.

do they get any unfair advantage? absolutely not!!!

Do I have a problem with that? personally no, because I can form my own opinion about Odyssey. I don't need a "compromised" streamer to tell me how "good" the game is.
 

Bladesteel

B
If you make buying decisions based on the opinion of someone that can be bought with a few trinkets and their name on a virtual property then that's on you. (Though I hope those youtubers didn't let it influence their coverage)
 

Bladesteel

B
CMDR_LS said:
hmmm idk about that. There is a reason why most countries have laws that prohibits politicians from receiving gifts.
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Because politicians make actual decisions. Youtubers talk about stuff, and if you see one that's 100% positive about anything you know they are either a fool, or bought.
 

gorankar

gorankar
I don't see the in game advantage here at all. At worst, I see a reason to not see the recipients views on the game as genuine. But, I already was paying their views no mind. Worse actually, I am more likely to believe the opposite of whatever journalists, bloggers, and content creators, say is true because I can't shake the belief that they do it for the views and the money.
I am fine with this.
 

DiaperLord

D
HRDiagram said:
What?

Gifts of planets, cities, bases etc.? Some settlements/bases were named after some youtubers. It's purely cosmetic, they don't own anything, have no control over anything and it does not give them any game advantage whatsoever.

And then you go on a tangent about supplying special ships, modules, recipes, etc.?
Are you sure you're talking about ED?

I am sure some will be super powerful with some cactuses in their room, however, that's clearly unfair.

Yes, you're overreacting.
Click to expand...

OK. I didn't understand. Thank you!
 

CMDR_LS

C
Bladesteel said:
Because politicians make actual decisions. Youtubers talk about stuff, and if you see one that's 100% positive about anything you know they are either a fool, or bought.
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my point was, although I personally don't have a problem with them getting gifts, I am pretty sure it influences their decision. I mean, Astro (or down to earth with astronomy) has been very carful with his critique and has been mostly positive. Of course he was influenced by the gift.
 

Koma Pahu

Koma Pahu
Gifts to influencers are so prolific that I've even been contacted by companies and offered freebies because of my rather small, but well connected, RL social media presence. - Yes, I'm afraid Elite isn't my sole focus in life. 😆

There are already CMDRs who seem to have direct access to FDev, I don't see why major YouTubers would also have privileged access.

I think the Devs are probably regretting sending those gifts now. The idea was probably for it to drum up hype around Odyssey's launch, but recent events suggest that may not have been such a great idea.
 

NMDGeist

N
DiaperLord said:
In my opinion our YouTubers provide us with valuable service (especially to new players) and they are worthy of reward
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Hard disagree. Youtubers are parasites at worst and guerilla marketers at best. Neither help the end user nearly as much as a simple easy to reference article on whatever you'd like to know would. Or god forbid an actually honest and informative official game website.
 
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