This thread, surprisingly, is my opinion, so please don't jump down my throat and read what I have to say. Thank you.
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So as we all probably know, beta access is for testing and experimenting with the new additions to the game, whilst suggesting balances and ideas to go forwards also. On the negative side, at the start of the Horizons season we were required to pay for such access. In F2P games, early development games and nearly all MMOs (with beta), everyone is able to enjoy it in some way or another with full access (or a special event whilst the developers alone test the new content). Unfortunately, if we didn't pay for the beta access (yes, I said pay) at the start of the season, we cannot test, experiment etc. in the 2.1 beta. Now, being an MMO with P2P (pay to play) is one thing, which I accept, and having horizons, or expansions (which I also accept), but (in my opinion, again) having to pay along side this content for a feature (beta) which should be free in the first place is slightly annoying. I could go into more detail regarding the current gameplay and how things are made to deliberately be more time consuming (I'm looking at you, station modules and you, hyperspace jump, but I won't since that's petty and/or childish to complain about.
.
Now yes, I understand the developers need the money to create more content, but games like Warframe or LoL are free to play with zero expansions. Bearing in mind they both have micro-transactions (platinum or Riot Points), so before you shoot me down for this, So does E: D. Paint jobs are definitely such a thing. Albeit there isn't a premium currency you can pay for, but we can admit the cost of the game, and its similarly priced expansion definitely make up for the cost.
.
So, back to the beta; why must we pay for the beta in the first place? Shouldn't the cost of the game/expansion cover that already? And no, Beta is certainly not a valid expansion as it is a phase nearly every game has to go through at some part in the update/development period. Although this would still be 'pushing it' a bit, at least allow us to pay for beta as a one-time purchase (it isn't even on the store now... which technically limits their income from Horizons (since they lose out on money they could potentially gain from a permanent beta access)... or even charge for beta access during the beta phase, allowing us to purchase access whenever a beta period is on.
.
Another thing contributing to this 'rant (debate, shall we?)' is the confusing way that Horizons is split into seasons. We paid for the expansion (costing nearly the base game) which, at the horrendous price it is (since we can only land on planets as of now, without much purpose...) so why should we have to buy yet another pass to unlock future versions of it? Now I can't elaborate on this because I don't know what actually will be added in future expansions, but when atmospheric landings come out, we should definitely not have to pay for that, too (heck, that should already be in the expansion! IN MY OPINION). I get that walking around the cockpit, cities on the planets, interactive people and AIs will be available, maybe even base building, which I understand should be released in separate expansions but, again, atmospheric landings should come as a free update in one of the... 'seasons'...
.
Anyway, that's it from me. Please don't go too hard on me in the comments, have a nice day.
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EDIT: just to clarify, I'm not 'complaining' about the fact beta isn't free directly. Yes, that's a big downer, but the main thing is why can't I purchase it now?? As said below, that's leaving money on the table.. But some of us DO have jobs (I'm 14, so I don't have jobs, or money...) and we don't have infinite money. Some people have spent up to $200 on this game - that's saying something...
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Based on the response of those who disagree, I definitely agree with the "server load" that will be required for if beta was free for all. Instead, frontier could simply add a time lock on the game - say 100 hours played (just an epaying) required for beta access. Yes, people might just leave they're computer on all night, but the electricity bill will end up paying for the beta anyway, so it is much easier and more beneficial to actually play the game and earn those 100 hours. This way, all the newer players with (assumed) less experience of the game will not be able to take part in the beta, increasing the opportunity for less server load and more experienced testers. Said below, it isn't just about this player has X kills or X planets or X anything, but how diverse they have played and explored assets in the game. Not many have been to Obsidian orbital and fomented on how blue the planet is below because of the blue star. Same goes for the beta - not many have had the chance to actually take part, but they still made the journey leading up to it, only to be disappointed. Yes, my exact thoughts were “so I payed for the game and its expansion. I bought the season pass because, bravo frontier, wheres the lifetime pass? (It had gone off sale. What?). I was pretty disappointed in horizons as a whole anyway, and now they're locking me out of beta because i didnt arrive to the party early enough? What?! No! Beta should be free because the developwrs need as many people testing as they can, even if theyre just playing! If they find a bug, they will probably speak up about it anyway and slap it on the bug report. Just because they want to play earlier by all means does not mark them down as "you're only doing it to play, so you can't take part". Honestly frontier definitely need to rethink this.”
.
And again for the millionth time, that my opinion so please don't kill me over that. Also, yes I'm arguing over 10 pounds. TEN pounds. Yes that's the whole pounds to play an incomplete part of the game which we already played for. This should be the last edit, but if I need to clarify more, I will.
.
So as we all probably know, beta access is for testing and experimenting with the new additions to the game, whilst suggesting balances and ideas to go forwards also. On the negative side, at the start of the Horizons season we were required to pay for such access. In F2P games, early development games and nearly all MMOs (with beta), everyone is able to enjoy it in some way or another with full access (or a special event whilst the developers alone test the new content). Unfortunately, if we didn't pay for the beta access (yes, I said pay) at the start of the season, we cannot test, experiment etc. in the 2.1 beta. Now, being an MMO with P2P (pay to play) is one thing, which I accept, and having horizons, or expansions (which I also accept), but (in my opinion, again) having to pay along side this content for a feature (beta) which should be free in the first place is slightly annoying. I could go into more detail regarding the current gameplay and how things are made to deliberately be more time consuming (I'm looking at you, station modules and you, hyperspace jump, but I won't since that's petty and/or childish to complain about.
.
Now yes, I understand the developers need the money to create more content, but games like Warframe or LoL are free to play with zero expansions. Bearing in mind they both have micro-transactions (platinum or Riot Points), so before you shoot me down for this, So does E: D. Paint jobs are definitely such a thing. Albeit there isn't a premium currency you can pay for, but we can admit the cost of the game, and its similarly priced expansion definitely make up for the cost.
.
So, back to the beta; why must we pay for the beta in the first place? Shouldn't the cost of the game/expansion cover that already? And no, Beta is certainly not a valid expansion as it is a phase nearly every game has to go through at some part in the update/development period. Although this would still be 'pushing it' a bit, at least allow us to pay for beta as a one-time purchase (it isn't even on the store now... which technically limits their income from Horizons (since they lose out on money they could potentially gain from a permanent beta access)... or even charge for beta access during the beta phase, allowing us to purchase access whenever a beta period is on.
.
Another thing contributing to this 'rant (debate, shall we?)' is the confusing way that Horizons is split into seasons. We paid for the expansion (costing nearly the base game) which, at the horrendous price it is (since we can only land on planets as of now, without much purpose...) so why should we have to buy yet another pass to unlock future versions of it? Now I can't elaborate on this because I don't know what actually will be added in future expansions, but when atmospheric landings come out, we should definitely not have to pay for that, too (heck, that should already be in the expansion! IN MY OPINION). I get that walking around the cockpit, cities on the planets, interactive people and AIs will be available, maybe even base building, which I understand should be released in separate expansions but, again, atmospheric landings should come as a free update in one of the... 'seasons'...
.
Anyway, that's it from me. Please don't go too hard on me in the comments, have a nice day.
.
EDIT: just to clarify, I'm not 'complaining' about the fact beta isn't free directly. Yes, that's a big downer, but the main thing is why can't I purchase it now?? As said below, that's leaving money on the table.. But some of us DO have jobs (I'm 14, so I don't have jobs, or money...) and we don't have infinite money. Some people have spent up to $200 on this game - that's saying something...
.
Based on the response of those who disagree, I definitely agree with the "server load" that will be required for if beta was free for all. Instead, frontier could simply add a time lock on the game - say 100 hours played (just an epaying) required for beta access. Yes, people might just leave they're computer on all night, but the electricity bill will end up paying for the beta anyway, so it is much easier and more beneficial to actually play the game and earn those 100 hours. This way, all the newer players with (assumed) less experience of the game will not be able to take part in the beta, increasing the opportunity for less server load and more experienced testers. Said below, it isn't just about this player has X kills or X planets or X anything, but how diverse they have played and explored assets in the game. Not many have been to Obsidian orbital and fomented on how blue the planet is below because of the blue star. Same goes for the beta - not many have had the chance to actually take part, but they still made the journey leading up to it, only to be disappointed. Yes, my exact thoughts were “so I payed for the game and its expansion. I bought the season pass because, bravo frontier, wheres the lifetime pass? (It had gone off sale. What?). I was pretty disappointed in horizons as a whole anyway, and now they're locking me out of beta because i didnt arrive to the party early enough? What?! No! Beta should be free because the developwrs need as many people testing as they can, even if theyre just playing! If they find a bug, they will probably speak up about it anyway and slap it on the bug report. Just because they want to play earlier by all means does not mark them down as "you're only doing it to play, so you can't take part". Honestly frontier definitely need to rethink this.”
.
And again for the millionth time, that my opinion so please don't kill me over that. Also, yes I'm arguing over 10 pounds. TEN pounds. Yes that's the whole pounds to play an incomplete part of the game which we already played for. This should be the last edit, but if I need to clarify more, I will.
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