Here's a wacky idea for Elite : Dangerous to pull in more revenue - Free to play but ...

Phoenix_Dfire

Phoenix_Dfire
So the Idea is the game is free to play, you get all the benefits of Live and Odyssey, but when you die, that character is dead. I mean full Ironman mode. i.e. passed on, no more! ceased to be! Expired and gone to meet David Braben! They're a stiff! Bereft of life, rests in peace, pushing up the daisies! They're metabolic processes are now history! They've kicked the bucket, shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleeding choir invisible!! (Just to make sure you folk understand!)

So its new commander time and back to the sidewinder.

So before you ask. 'Oi! How does THAT generate new revenue?'

Well, there are two exceptions;-
1. You have to buy a set amount of Arx each month to pay for your 'Rescue Ranger' Insurance, so you can carry on playing with that character
or
2. You either have already bought or you buy the game (Odyssey included).

I was just thinking when they gave away Elite : Horizons on the Epic Store, we got so many new players in the game for a time, and a few of the stayed. I know it's effectively turning the main game into kind of a demo but never underestimate the power of free stuff.
 

Dragsham

Dragsham
?




Umm
So it's free to play but you can perma die. And if u buy odyssey you don't die?
Or .. its free to play but if you buy arx (a set amount say 10k arx) you die you pay 1000 arx let's say and you get your ship back.
Am l getting this?
 

Phoenix_Dfire

Phoenix_Dfire
Dragsham said:
So it's free to play but you can perma die.
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Yup
Dragsham said:
And if u buy odyssey you don't die?
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Yup
Dragsham said:
Or .. its free to play but if you buy arx (a set amount say 10k arx) you die you pay 1000 arx let's say and you get your ship back.
Am l getting this?
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Or you don't buy Odyssey, but instead buy at least 5000 Arx (£2.99) in a month. As long as you buy some arx in a month, then no Perma-Death. You just carry on as normal. Stop buying the monthly ARX, then next time you die, you permanently lose that character.
 

BL1P

BL1P
I like the Idea of an Ironman "mode" with new lives costing arx.
But it would need to be a fresh Character only playable in Ironman I would say.

But yer I would play that !

Edit. As dragsham said open only too !! but then NightVision lines should be removed from a ship that is in silent mode so that NightVision doesnt negate Silent Running for pvp.
 

Phoenix_Dfire

Phoenix_Dfire
Dragsham said:
Brutal.
Combined with open only, a ban on combat loggers, and a grappling hook & yup +1 from me
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Open Only? - Hell No. You want people to quite the game in droves?
Once a fairer Crime and Punishment systems is implemented then a Ban on Combat Loggers - Hell Yes. Back to the Sidewinder for that one.
Grappling hook? The interdictor and hatch breakers not good enough for you? 😈
 

Dragsham

Dragsham
Hang on you said iron man! That's hard mode. That's true grit, steel girders, glint in yer eye, Yarrr!
So open only fits. Don't want the, gotta be careful here cos admin might slap me for how I describe folk, other cmdrs here who are not so wiling to face death.
Oh btw the grappling hook is a good alternative to bump stopping ships that are paralysed ie their drives at 0
 
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Phoenix_Dfire

Phoenix_Dfire
BL1P said:
I like the Idea of an Ironman "mode" with new lives costing arx.
But it would need to be a fresh Character only playable in Ironman I would say.

But yer I would play that !

Edit. As dragsham said open only too !! but then NightVision lines should be removed from a ship that is in silent mode so that NightVision doesnt negate Silent Running for pvp.
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When you think about it. It wouldn't apply to any existing accounts because we've all bought the game, So you'd have to create a new account just to take advantage of it.

However Open only? heck no. We're tying to get people in to try the game and encourage them to keep playing. We don't want an EVE situation where seal clubbing ruins the game experience and they un-install the game.

I've been seal-clubbed in both Eve and Jumpgate ( lets see people remember that one), and got whacked in the first couple of hours in both games. Got told to just 'suck it up noob', so uninstalled both game, which I was willing to sub for. So if I played either of them for the same amount of time I played Elite (which is entirely possible considering the space nerd I am) , that would have been £1200 for jumpgate or £1920 for EVE, which those games missed out on.
 

zimms

zimms
An interesting idea, I don't think I've ever heard that suggestion before.

But I'm very skeptical of how it would work out. It wouldn't appeal to me personally, but at least "iron man mode" has been brought up by others a couple of times already.

The pricing would be tricky though. Why choose a monthly subscription when you can get a copy of the game for 5 bucks most of the time.
 

Doctor Dread

Doctor Dread
For those who whish so, Ironman mode is implemented in the game from the day one.

DeleteCommander_UK.jpg
 

BL1P

BL1P
Phoenix_Dfire said:
When you think about it. It wouldn't apply to any existing accounts because we've all bought the game, So you'd have to create a new account just to take advantage of it.

However Open only? heck no. We're tying to get people in to try the game and encourage them to keep playing. We don't want an EVE situation where seal clubbing ruins the game experience and they un-install the game.

I've been seal-clubbed in both Eve and Jumpgate ( lets see people remember that one), and got whacked in the first couple of hours in both games. Got told to just 'suck it up noob', so uninstalled both game, which I was willing to sub for. So if I played either of them for the same amount of time I played Elite (which is entirely possible considering the space nerd I am) , that would have been £1200 for jumpgate or £1920 for EVE, which those games missed out on.
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I do not think you should be able to get stuff in solo or PG then switch to open, in an Ironman mode.
If there are multiple Ironman modes - EG: IrnManOpen, IrnManSolo, IrnManPG and your Irnman character is locked to the mode you choose... then sure.
Otherwise its a NO for me as being able to get your stuff safely in solo then swapping to open would defeate the point of IronMan for me.

I realise this would fracture the playerbase more than it already is but anything else would be unbalanced.
 

Weps

Weps
If we're talking F2P... I would make a F2P version of on-foot Odyssey. These players would not be able to own a ship, and would have to rely only on Apex shuttles or teaming up with other regular Odyssey CMDRs to travel. I think this could act as a nice "demo version" to the full game - without giving away too much of the gameplay scope, it would present the possibilities and the extent of the game world.
 

IstvaanDCIV

IstvaanDCIV
Wouldn't appeal to me either. Maybe it could work out if it appeals to enough potential players, sounds like the sort of thing that would take proper marketing research to determine.
 

Phoenix_Dfire

Phoenix_Dfire
zimms said:
An interesting idea, I don't think I've ever heard that suggestion before.

But I'm very skeptical of how it would work out. It wouldn't appeal to me personally, but at least "iron man mode" has been brought up by others a couple of times already.

The pricing would be tricky though. Why choose a monthly subscription when you can get a copy of the game for 5 bucks most of the time.
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The idea was that people could try the game for free for a while to entice them in. Look at the uptake we had when we had the Epic giveaway. If people enjoy it and get attached to their characters / ships then they'll be willing to pay to avoid to getting whacked by the big stick of perma-death!
 

EdzUp

EdzUp
Sooooooo how many times would it cost for combat zones or griefers targeting newbies?

It's all very well and done if we're killed by our own actions but this is a multiplayer game with people out there who like attacking new players or much smaller ships, either because they themselves are useless at combat or because some other inferiority complex which stops them noticing viable targets and going after ones they can actually win against.
 

Phoenix_Dfire

Phoenix_Dfire
EdzUp said:
Sooooooo how many times would it cost for combat zones or griefers targeting newbies?

It's all very well and done if we're killed by our own actions but this is a multiplayer game with people out there who like attacking new players or much smaller ships, either because they themselves are useless at combat or because some other inferiority complex which stops them noticing viable targets and going after ones they can actually win against.
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I didn't say they were forced to play in open!

Funny as soon as you even hint at a perma-death mechanic, some people try to force the topic to make the whole game open only! :rolleyes:
 

Planewalker

Planewalker
Ultra Fluffy said:
That sounds like "Pay to not lose" which some people would call "Pay to win". Or win-win for non-PVP who hardly ever die
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After deliberating on the OP suggestion i have to say i think it is a seriously bad idea. :ROFLMAO:

_

IF elite went f2p, star trek online (hear me out) and homeworld mobile are imo the highest standards on the market right now.
-star trek online has a seriously skewed monetisation model tho, and homeworld mobile is closing after being bought by take two. x|
(that being said, STO has the best customisation i've ever seen while the market for homeworld mobile is "chef's kiss" (no ads/popups))
_

Case in point, ANY f2p title needs a seriously healthy revenue stream as well as an exceedingly attractive monetisation model in order to flourish.
(alternative is bad everything leading to an extremely short lifespan x)


I honestly don't think going f2p would be good for elite as it brings in a whole new slew of issues.
Especially not at this point in time.
_
 
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