FD please bring back Expansion Pack for sale during Gamma, for higher price

Splette · Nov 10, 2014

Yes but the OP suggests Frontier to offer the Expansion Pack now at a higher price than what the kickstarters pledged for it back then.

I didn't join the kickstarter but by now have complete confindence in Frontier to deliver an awesome game. I have no worries that they'd abandon this project after release. I'd be happy to pay for an unlimited expansion pack now.

StuartGT · Nov 10, 2014

I missed out on the Lifetime Expansion Pass offer by roughly a day or two, and while it'd be nice to buy it if it became available again, I'm not averse to buying the expansions individually as they're released. If anything I'd actually be supporting Frontier more that way round, as the total cost of individual expansions will likely be higher than the Lifetime Pass.

optiplex · Nov 10, 2014

asparien said:
As a player who has only discovered the existence of Elite in time to sign up for Beta 2.04, I would welcome the opportunity to purchase a Lifelong Expansion Pack. I can see this game becoming a rather scary addiction...

Asp

Indeed

Corwyn · Nov 10, 2014

It was a limited time offer, the time limit has passed. I don't think they should bring it back, it devalues the one's that were purchased and makes them no longer special.

StayFrosty · Nov 10, 2014

We don't know how huge of a discount we got with the expansion pass. For all we know, they might not be able to make it more expensive than it'd cost you to pay for expansions individually.

SAB380 · Nov 10, 2014

anikaiful said:
I don't see them as money grubbers like e.g. PWI. They can make revenue from other things, like the current paint-jobs, etc. So, expansions aren't the "only way" by far. I like their art with the paint-jobs a lot, and though I can't see them in space (just on station).. they're something I'll put my money - at least others can have some eye-candy ... be it before they go down in flames or we depart with happy greetings.

I don't think they will make much money at all from paint jobs. It'll be a tiny continual trickle. And I don't think the tiny vanity items alone will be able to support the game.
Expansions are the only way they will make real money from the current player base IMO.

Armour · Nov 10, 2014

They have talked about players being able to purchase credits with real money, so I would guess that they can make a fair bit of cash from that.

However, as someone who also got the expansion pass, I'd like to pull the ladder up behind me and laugh at those latecomers who, through ignorance or scepticism, lost out. So I vote "NO" to the idea of selling the expansion pass now or in the future.

Arindor · Nov 10, 2014

I can't see the Lifetime Expansion Pass being brought back. Unfortunately, once Beta ends, FD will need to bring in more funds in order to keep ED updated and supported. This will mean paying top pound for each individual expansion.

However, you never know what FD may have up their sleeves.

thatdude90210 · Nov 10, 2014

As someone who did take advantage of the original offer, I don't see any issues with them offering it again. And it may actually give Frontier more money in the long run. How it that possible? Because they get money up front, some of it from people who in the future may have already moved on from the game.

Corwyn · Nov 11, 2014

I'll probably get flamed for saying this but, what gets me is, it was available, and people didn't avail themselves of it and make the purchase, now that it's been gone for a while, and the game is finally getting ready for release, people are now realizing the mistake they made. Now people beg FD to fix their own mistakes for them, instead of accepting that they did make it and moving on.

Get over it, hindsight is 20/20, you made your choices, life goes on.

**slips into flame suite**

Chek · Nov 11, 2014

asparien said:
I can see this game becoming a rather scary addiction...

Asp

It's compulsive not addictive...well at least that's what I keep telling myself

Bob_H · Nov 11, 2014

Corwyn said:
I'll probably get flamed for saying this but, what gets me is, it was available, and people didn't avail themselves of it and make the purchase, now that it's been gone for a while, and the game is finally getting ready for release, people are now realizing the mistake they made. Now people beg FD to fix their own mistakes for them, instead of accepting that they did make it and moving on.

Get over it, hindsight is 20/20, you made your choices, life goes on.

**slips into flame suite**

I have to agree somewhat with the sentiment expressed above. Above all, ED is about actions and consequences. About taking a decision, making actions on that decision and accepting the consequences of that action. FD took the decision to remove the lifetime expansion pass and never offer it again. That decision has the consequence of FD losing any kind of credibility if they renage on it. The people who new about the offer but decided - for whatever reason - not to take it up now have to live with the consequence that they will now have to buy each future expansion separately. It sucks big fat hairy balls, I know but the decision was made now accept it and move on. The people who didn't know about ED, the Kickstarter/backer campaign or the expansion pass, really haven't lost anything. You can't have or partake in what you don't know about and knowledge is not retrospective.

kilvenny · Nov 11, 2014

When the expansion pack was in existence, the way the expansion pack was viewed was that it was covering two major expansions walking around and planet landing. Now it looks like there will be a number of addons of varying sizes and presumably cost with these two expansions broken down into component pieces. I also get the impression FD have committed internally to a number of expansions and probably have a number of others they want to do. I sincerely doubt the expansions pack will come back. The issue with the expansions pack is the revenue recognition - accountancy rules, you can only recognise revenue if its actual revenue, the expansions pack has no end point so you cannot say you have delivered it as its a pre-order with no defined end delievery point. FD will going forward want to recognise the revenue expansion by expansion. This is currently why FD's profits look grisly and why they need to release the game so they can recognise the revenue.

RGS · Nov 11, 2014

As they've said they will not sell it again, it seems only right that they don't. However, I feel like it was offered and discontinued at a very odd time as said previously. To me it would have made much more sense if they'd left it live for a month after the launch of the Standard Beta rather than killing it at the exact time those most likely to buy it would have done so.

Myspace Kaitsu80 · Nov 11, 2014

Ok, had another thought on this...

If they will not sell Expansion Packs anymore...

Maybe permissions to Sol and other main systems (during Gamma, for same price people used to upgrade for Beta partly because of that).

Should I start new thread on this with a poll?

Robert Maynard · Nov 11, 2014

Myspace Kaitsu80 said:
Ok, had another thought on this...

If they will not sell Expansion Packs anymore...

Maybe permissions to Sol and other main systems (during Gamma, for same price people used to upgrade for Beta partly because of that).

Should I start new thread on this with a poll?

Why not simply reiterate the message that the permit to access Sol is included in Beta (available until the 22nd of November) and that the upgrade from the Mercenary Edition is £15?

That would be simpler than adding a £15 pay-to-access item to the online store.

Myspace Kaitsu80 · Nov 11, 2014

Robert Maynard said:
Why not simply reiterate the message that the permit to access Sol is included in Beta (available until the 22nd of November) and that the upgrade from the Mercenary Edition is £15?

That would be simpler than adding a £15 pay-to-access item to the online store.

My point is that people could still fund FD more during Gamma, as offer you mentioned is withdrawn at 22nd, many may not have yet noticed it (or even know about the game).

EDIT: +some people might be still uncertain if access to Sol is worth 15£, and could change their mind during Gamma (or just simply will not have that money this month extra).

Akavilyn · Nov 11, 2014

It just doesn't make sense to bring the unlimited expansion pack offer back.

Firstly, it would pee off those that sank at least £100 into the game at a very early stage (many paid much more than this to make sure it got off the ground). Secondly, even if they tried to make it fair by selling it at an increased cost (say £80 as a blind stab) it would be really off-balance with the initial £35 outlay, which people may well balk at. Expect comments like "oh, so I only get a little bit of the game for £35". Complaints ahoy. Much better to sell expansion packs after-the-fact, then people can buy piecemeal once they fully understand the mechanics of it all, which even we don't have full knowledge of right now.

Finally, what would they really be selling people? The promise of more? We're beyond the 'promises' stage now; this is very nearly a product, which needs to be treated differently than the pledges-and-promises approach that we're used to as early supporters.

I could well see them introducing 'ships and starports' or some other expansion pre-order on launch day or soon afterwards, though. That would make sense. What will be interesting is to see if any of the expansion packs will be reliant on others. It would make sense that 'planetary landings' would require a 'ships and starports' pack, for example. But that's some way in the future yet.

Robert Maynard · Nov 11, 2014

Myspace Kaitsu80 said:
My point is that people could still fund FD more during Gamma, as offer you mentioned is withdrawn at 22nd, many may not have yet noticed it (or even know about the game).

EDIT: +some people might be still uncertain if access to Sol is worth 15£, and could change their mind during Gamma (or just simply will not have that money this month extra).

As they say - "all good things must come to an end" - that was the case for the Expansion Pass and the limited edition skins that have come and gone. People need to make up their mind what they want and, to some extent, take a risk. That's what all of the Kickstarter pledgers did. Also, selling Sol Permits for £15 in the store would be the first direct pay-to-progress item in the store that has been, up to now, limited to game access packages and cosmetic items.

Diziet Sma · Nov 11, 2014

Corwyn said:
I'll probably get flamed for saying this but, what gets me is, it was available, and people didn't avail themselves of it and make the purchase, now that it's been gone for a while, and the game is finally getting ready for release, people are now realizing the mistake they made. Now people beg FD to fix their own mistakes for them, instead of accepting that they did make it and moving on.

Get over it, hindsight is 20/20, you made your choices, life goes on.

Bingo..

Broke and unemployed, I was unable to get in even on the lowest tier of the kickstarter.. and when the beta release was announced with its' small overlap of time with with the Lifetime Expansion Pass, I had only finally managed to scrape enough $ together for the beta. But I had faith that the LEP was going to prove to be a bargain, so I decided to go hungry for a week or so to spring for it as well. Still broke and unemployed, I'm currently scraping the $ together to build a rig to run it on, as this old Core Duo laptop won't even touch it. Odds are it'll be months after ED is released before I even get to play.. (and while I'm at it, thank goodness for the EDTracker project!)

So yeah, for me, that Lifetime Pass and FDs promise of limited availability for it is a big deal.. I'd be rather ticked off if they reneged on it, thereby effectively rendering all my struggle and sacrifice for this game pointless. I managed to get one of the passes, despite my circumstances.. if you missed out, that's your own fault, not Frontier's.