I just skimmed an article on a german IT news site about an interview they did with someone from the E-Sports scene. That person claimed F2P is the best business model for E-Sports games.
While I have no interest in E-Sports, that article certainly wasn't based on highly scientific studies and a lot of the details about CQC have yet to be revealed, it nevertheless got me thinking. In one of their interviews someone from FDev rather humbly stated something along the lines, that they're not explicitely planning to target the ESport scene with CQC, but would'nt mind, if CQC established itself there. It sounded like they were at least trying to design CQC from an E-Sport POV.
Will there be a spectator mode for CQC? Not something tacked on when it's too late, but something integrated from the beginning. Seeing as there are team based modes, will there be clans/guilds - also from the beginning? Some form of defining groups of players, including member roles, private communication within that group and joining a CQC match as a group (which would probably just as much appreciated in the "public universe", at least if some form of dedicated PvE missions for groups were introduced at some point)?
Last, but not least: As FDev is apparently introducing CQC as separate mode which can be started from the main menu - what are the Pro's and Con's in respect to a free 2 play model for CQC (and only CQC)? This would certainly lower the barrier of entry for new players to try their hand at a meaningful part of what constitutes the fun in Elite - dogfights. The "PU" could still be locked behind a purchase.
Implementing CQC as F2P mode, adding clan and spectator support seems to be a route I'd at least consider, if I were working at frontier. Other games have shown that vehicle-based F2P games can be successful (World of Tanks, War Thunder, ...) and Elite's flying model is probably one of it's greatest strength. Any thoughts? Constructive ones? (We by now all know that many consider F2P, console ports and not having all desired features implemented and launched bug-free the week before last a sacrilege. And yes, the game can still do with a lot of work in many other areas than the mentioned ones.
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While I have no interest in E-Sports, that article certainly wasn't based on highly scientific studies and a lot of the details about CQC have yet to be revealed, it nevertheless got me thinking. In one of their interviews someone from FDev rather humbly stated something along the lines, that they're not explicitely planning to target the ESport scene with CQC, but would'nt mind, if CQC established itself there. It sounded like they were at least trying to design CQC from an E-Sport POV.
Will there be a spectator mode for CQC? Not something tacked on when it's too late, but something integrated from the beginning. Seeing as there are team based modes, will there be clans/guilds - also from the beginning? Some form of defining groups of players, including member roles, private communication within that group and joining a CQC match as a group (which would probably just as much appreciated in the "public universe", at least if some form of dedicated PvE missions for groups were introduced at some point)?
Last, but not least: As FDev is apparently introducing CQC as separate mode which can be started from the main menu - what are the Pro's and Con's in respect to a free 2 play model for CQC (and only CQC)? This would certainly lower the barrier of entry for new players to try their hand at a meaningful part of what constitutes the fun in Elite - dogfights. The "PU" could still be locked behind a purchase.
Implementing CQC as F2P mode, adding clan and spectator support seems to be a route I'd at least consider, if I were working at frontier. Other games have shown that vehicle-based F2P games can be successful (World of Tanks, War Thunder, ...) and Elite's flying model is probably one of it's greatest strength. Any thoughts? Constructive ones? (We by now all know that many consider F2P, console ports and not having all desired features implemented and launched bug-free the week before last a sacrilege. And yes, the game can still do with a lot of work in many other areas than the mentioned ones.
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