I want Elite and FDev to succeed.

[CaptnPicard2305]

I guess you could call me a gaming fanatic when it comes to Elite. I have 11,000 hours over three accounts, and all in VR.

I want to play Elite for many years to come and so I have a suggestion for FDev. To help keep the servers up and running, how about offering players the chance to participate in a voluntary subscription of £10 per month? This would be in exchange for giving each subscriber full access to all items of livery for free; so long as their subscription is kept active.

This would be a win win for everyone, FDev, the fanatic, and occasional players. And the best part if this is that it would not impact the BGS in any way.

Installing a voluntary (optional) subscription would mean everyone wins. FDev could count on a new flow of income, the fanatics get free access to all livery, and we all benefit by knowing the servers will have a better chance of staying up and running for years to come.

 

[alexzk]

There is new livery set for 1600 arx, just buy it.

 

[CaptnPicard2305]

The whole point is to find a way to help keep the servers up and running for many years to come.

 

[alexzk]

The whole point is to find a way to help keep the servers up and running for many years to come.

No worries, they promised to publish sources when will be ready to stop servers.

 

[Riverside]

The whole point is to find a way to help keep the servers up and running for many years to come.

It used to be that one could (theoretically) buy every cosmetic available & be in a position where one could no longer buy anything to donate a voluntary payment.

But since the introduction of ARX anyone can now buy as much as they want to even if there are no cosmetics one might want to buy (or be able to if one already owns them all).

So the solution you are looking for already exists.

 

[CaptnPicard2305]

It used to be that one could (theoretically) buy every cosmetic available & be in a position where one could no longer buy anything to donate a voluntary payment.

But since the introduction of ARX anyone can now buy as much as they want to even if there are no cosmetics one might want to buy (or be able to if one already owns them all).

So the solution you are looking for already exists.

Yes, but technically perhaps no. Purchasing livery with Arx is a variable source of income for FDev, whereas a subscription (albeit taken out voluntarily by the individual) would provide a stable source of additional income that FDev could perhaps use to help offset server running costs. In exchange, subscribers could be rewarded with all livery items free... As taking out such a subscription would be entirely optional, and would not affect the BGS in any way, then it has the makings of being an 'everyone wins' proposal.

 

[varonica]

Yes, but technically perhaps no. Purchasing livery with Arx is a variable source of income for FDev,

Not if you buy the same amount of ARX every month, you can just buy ARX you know! That's just like subscription right. In fact it's exactly the same as a subscription, and it's voluntary for those who want to do it! So just buy ARX every month and consider it done, and that way if you suddenly have an emergency medical bill or car bill you can just not pay that month and won't find your back account overdrawn suddenly, then pay double the following month. That seems like a clear win for everyone involved!

 

[CaptnPicard2305]

If you wish to support Elite by purchasing a number of Arx each month then that would be very commendable way to help support the game, and its running costs, and development.

But the added bonus of taking out a subscription (which the player would be free to end at any time) could be perhaps complete free access to the Arx livery store. It would provide a new option and way for players to enjoy Elite and to help support FDev in the process.

I think FDev could do with a lot of love and support at this moment in time and an optional fixed amount subscription, for players who want to show their appreciation and support like that could be a helpful way forward.

 

[varonica]

But the added bonus of taking out a subscription (which the player would be free to end at any time) could be perhaps complete free access to the Arx livery store. It would provide a new option and way for players to enjoy Elite and to help support FDev in the process.

So you want to pay ten pounds per month and get everything free from the ARX store, how on earth is that giving FDEV money? That's taking money away, you do realise that right? Instead of buying massively overpriced cosmetics they will just pay a tiny fee that in no way compares to the cost of livery, thus losing FDEV money.

 

[Hooplah]

An interesting idea.

As I've purchased most every cosmetic I desired in the game I would certainly want something more. Maybe apparel, pins, key chains and cool triple Elite graphics for my real life vehicles. Maybe design my own paint jobs where I can see them but no one else. Perhaps a raffle to win the latest Aston Martin DBS 770 with an Elite Dangerous paint job of your choice! Throw your idea at the wall to see what sticks.

Even then I probably wouldn't go for it. Eve Online is a game purchase plus a monthly subscription which I never played because of it. That saved me probably 6000£ over the years. Then I pay a ridiculous fortune for cable TV every month for shows I don't watch while playing ED so there is no logic in my life.

I'm not sure that Frontier can end it as long as they keep selling the game. That would have to stop for a year or two with announcements and some players would get refunds. Others might go to court.

Still if that day ever comes Frontier will probably come up with a solution. Take Microsoft when they bought Digital Anvil and released Freelancer in 2003. That came with both client and server side files so a player could setup their own server with their rules. Awesome if all a player wanted was say excellent PvP going to the right server. Some allowed mods other's didn't. That is 20 year old technology and I would assume there are many more options possible today.

My small unimportant opinion is don't worry until it is time to worry. Others who enjoy worrying have fun enjoying the moment.

Regards

 

[CaptnPicard2305]

So you want to pay ten pounds per month and get everything free from the ARX store, how on earth is that giving FDEV money? That's taking money away, you do realise that right? Instead of buying massively overpriced cosmetics they will just pay a tiny fee that in no way compares to the cost of livery, thus losing FDEV money.

The difference is a solid income that FDev could have an opportunity to build upon. FDev have a resource there that they could sell for £120 a year to players each year.

And as you rightly say, players would benefit from that deal and FDev would too by having a new guaranteed and reliable source of income.

Then again, some players might not be interested in purchasing livery at all. In all good business practice, it's really down to an ability to have and offer options that count.

 

[CaptnPicard2305]

An interesting idea.

As I've purchased most every cosmetic I desired in the game I would certainly want something more. Maybe apparel, pins, key chains and cool triple Elite graphics for my real life vehicles. Maybe design my own paint jobs where I can see them but no one else. Perhaps a raffle to win the latest Aston Martin DBS 770 with an Elite Dangerous paint job of your choice! Throw your idea at the wall to see what sticks.

Even then I probably wouldn't go for it. Eve Online is a game purchase plus a monthly subscription which I never played because of it. That saved me probably 6000£ over the years. Then I pay a ridiculous fortune for cable TV every month for shows I don't watch while playing ED so there is no logic in my life.

I'm not sure that Frontier can end it as long as they keep selling the game. That would have to stop for a year or two with announcements and some players would get refunds. Others might go to court.

Still if that day ever comes Frontier will probably come up with a solution. Take Microsoft when they bought Digital Anvil and released Freelancer in 2003. That came with both client and server side files so a player could setup their own server with their rules. Awesome if all a player wanted was say excellent PvP going to the right server. Some allowed mods other's didn't. That is 20 year old technology and I would assume there are many more options possible today.

My small unimportant opinion is don't worry until it is time to worry. Others who enjoy worrying have fun enjoying the moment.

Regards

Good points raised.

 

[SlickPBW]

No worries, they promised to publish sources when will be ready to stop servers.

What’s their record on promises kept?

 

[Alien]

What’s their record on promises kept?

100% ... yeah I said it.
The thing is, what they have promised, as per the kickstarter pledges, they've kept, even 3D printed ship models, it took a while but they did honour that one. Everything else, was either what they said they'd like to do or what the community mistook as a promise, and yes, that's where offline mode and VR come in, those things were never promised, just speculated.

And I am sure someone's going to post "No they did promise ...." but be honest, was it Frontier committing to do it, or speculation by them or the community? Know the difference.

 

[vanFace]

Elite won't run forever. At some point in the future the servers will be down. No subscription will prevent that.
I wouldn't bet on having the source code released to the public either. Chances are FDev will just get bought by another company, assets scraped as good as possible and dead weight like ED eliminated immediately. I guess this will happen very fast. The one week we will glide away happily in super-cruise, only to be met with "no connection" the next week, followed by a news-release that reads "after the <insert company crap-talk>, we decided to <insert more company crap-talk>, so we had to shut-down the ED services, thanks for understanding".

So.. enjoy it while it lasts, concentrate on your game-play, and ignore the business world.

 

[Vingtetun]

What’s their record on promises kept?

I'd be careful making claims like that. They start being used as quoted items for 'facts' in the future then people claim that Frontier have broken their promises when indeed no such promise was made.

There was speculation as to what will happen when Frontier wants to shut things down.

And there was open discussion from the devs about what they MIGHT or WOULD LIKE to do. However there was neither a promise, not commitment.

(ie words like "I'd imagine that...")

And remember, the game we have now is significantly further down the road than when those discussions were being held. Initial intentions may not actually be practical further down that road.

So. Exercising caution with your expectations and moderation of your interpretation of statements as 'promises' is advised.

 

[Dillon Fallon]

You're just not going to get many people to agree with a subscription.

If (and I can't overstate how much I'm being hypothetical here enough) Frontier have any financial concerns its stemming from a number of recent games bring released where quality hasn't been very good and work has likely needed to be diverted from other projects to fix them.

Either way, adding player entitlement of "Hey, I'm paying your wages, where's the next DLC!" with others shouting the same thing but about bug fixes or ship interiors or whatever today's hot topic is, isn't going to help.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

According to Frontier's last financials, Elite Dangerous brought in £6 million in the last year.
Costs of maintaining Elite Dangerous and developing it at the current pace appear to be about £4 million per year.
Costs of maintaining Elite Dangerous and developing it at Odyssey pace appear to be about £9 million per year.

So:
1) Elite Dangerous remains profitable and able to fund a fair amount of continued development. There's no risk of it closing in the near future due to lack of funds, and continuing quarterly-ish updates seem likely. They need to keep the money coming in, obviously, but what they're currently doing is already enough to do that from new purchases and ARX. Frontier as a whole also remains a profitable company despite the unfavourable economic conditions.

2) To get it back to the "high-intensity" development level would need another £3 million per year, minimum, just to break even - and more likely another £5 million. That would be something like 25,000 to 40,000 of these voluntary subscriptions.

Are there really that many players who'd pay three times the launch price of Odyssey every year in the hope that it led to another Odyssey-sized expansion after 2-3 years, over and above the ARX they're already buying? That seems highly implausible. I play Elite Dangerous a lot, but even if Odyssey had been at its current quality level on release and had been based more around features that I was going to regularly use, I wouldn't have paid £300 for it!

 

[Greasetrap42]

OP's proposed idea: $140 per year subscription giving full access to livery, which I lose access to when I stop paying.

I rather just pay $140 per year for the livery items I want. And never lose access to them.

Also consider players such as myself have already purchased livery items they specifically want. There simply isn't an additional $140 worth of livery items I want to buy. Paying $140 subscrption for livery items I don't want and can't keep isn't a big win-win for me.

Edit: If I want to volunatarily donate money I can just purchase ARX.

 

[Dormant account - pls delete]

Are there really that many players who'd pay three times the launch price of Odyssey every year in the hope that it led to another Odyssey-sized expansion after 2-3 years, over and above the ARX they're already buying? That seems highly implausible. I play Elite Dangerous a lot, but even if Odyssey had been at its current quality level on release and had been based more around features that I was going to regularly use, I wouldn't have paid £300 for it!

I agree it's highly implausible on the face of it, but it is more or less how iRacing works, so there is some evidence it's doable if you build the right trust with your subscribed community.

Although if you ask the average iRacer why they picked that sim, they will probably tell you they like the (human) anti-gank service, so if we did get an E sub I think it would need to include some sort of actual Crime & Punishment enforcement.

That could be as simple as offering two codes of connection where one is anarchy and one has a Mobius type agreement you sign up to, and you pick which one you want.