If I don't buy the updates, will it break the game?

Luniticisi

Luniticisi
Now before I start this post I just want to say this is not something that will affect me as I will get all of the updates anyway :cool:

here goes, I was telling my friend all about E D (pretty much "It's gonna be AWESOME Dude!) and he brought up the point that if I had the update (say planetary landings) and he didn't would he still be able to play.

Now I would assume that he would be able to play with me :)eek: not in that way you dirty sods) but not land on the planets.

But what about add-ons that changed game mechanics,
quote from design discussion: Shields "(For release 1, a shield system has either 1 or 2 zones in playable ships)"
I only use this as an example.

If there are bigger changes to gameplay in add-ons will it break the game if you don't get the update ?

any ideas?
 

Nicodemus

N
I wouldn't think so, it just would mean your friend wouldn't be able to join you if you decided to land on the planet but he could still go off and do his trade run while you were on the planet itself.

For example, WoW (I know I know, I'll wash my mouth out later ;) ) If you had bought the expansion The Burning Crusade (which is nothing but an update really) and your friend hadn't, while you explored the new content he could still play the vanilla game. I see the same thing happening in EliteD.
 

Aewarin Jameson

Aewarin Jameson
Offline player - guaranteed he can play.

Online player - depends on whether FD cater for those without addons or not - think WoW and Blizzard. If I was to play it again after some HUGE patches I would be able to enter and enjoy the game but not visit the latest add-on areas as I don't have them. Plus I would be stuck at level 80 (I think it was) and not progress to 90 or whatever the current max is. If FD do this then you're set.
 

Luniticisi

Luniticisi
I was pretty much thinking that would be the way it would work, like a traditional MMO, if you don't have the updates .... you can't 'go there'/'buy that ship'/'use that module'

I suppose if my friend doesn't buy the Add-ons then, then it's his loss ... :D

As long as it does work that way, it'll be fine .. I would hate to think that not being able to buy/afford the add-ons means you end up stuck in 'solo offline mode'
 

el_tel

el_tel
add-ons

I think because it's called an add-on, it simply adds-on extra capabilities to those who purchase the add-on, such as:

Atmospheric shielding. If you do not have the permit, then you cannot buy the equipment or pre-equipped ship (but maybe you can watch your mate make a planetary descent and think about upgrading).

Docking bay/planetary permit. You cannot open the hatch of your ship/undo your seat-belt (but you can watch your mate walk past your cockpit window and think about upgrading).

A player without the add-on otherwise plays the game as normal (applying game-wide updates as necessary). I think.

add-on
 

huwthomas

huwthomas
From the Kickstarter:

Once you have purchased the game up front, you will be able to play thereafter for no further cost. Everything in the game will be purchasable with in-game Credits, earned from trading, bounty-hunting, etc. We will probably allow the supplemental purchase of Credits with real money, for those who want to accelerate their progress through the game.

We do plan to charge for additional updates, to be available sometime after the original release. These will offer additional content, features and gameplay.
Click to expand...
The backlash would be terrible, if they forced everyone to purchase things to keep playing, after stating the above. I can't see it even being considered.

Mechanics changes are different, I can see players being required to download the latest patch in order to continue, to make sure we're all on the same game mechanics. But such patches will be free, I feel sure.
 

SAB380

SAB380
They aren't game breaking updates and they will probably even write it into the in game lore ....even if a tad silly.

Player 1: Has the planetary landing expansion and goes where he wants

Player 2: Doesn't have it and when tries to follow P1 gets a message, 'You're ship has not been fitted with the correct atmospheric entry capability and you do not have your planetary landing license. Get yourself ready at your nearest space station (or directly from Frontier's website)


Done.
 

Susimetsa

Susimetsa
SAB380 said:
Player 1: Has the planetary landing expansion and goes where he wants

Player 2: Doesn't have it and when tries to follow P1 gets a message, 'You're ship has not been fitted with the correct atmospheric entry capability and you do not have your planetary landing license. Get yourself ready at your nearest space station (or directly from Frontier's website)
Click to expand...
Better just do it like it was in the original Frontier games: Your ship just blew up if you tried to enter atmosphere. You then spent a couple of moments in bewilderment trying to figure out what happened until you realised that you had bought a new ship but forgot to purchase atmospheric shielding.
 

Patrick_68000

Patrick_68000
There will probably hotfixes for eventual bugs, improvements in execution code ... Everyone will have access to it. And there will be updates to the gameplay. Here people will play according to their access. But who could resist, not to buy the update for planetary landing ? WHO ?

:p
 
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kmw

kmw
And if you've pledged to the necessary level (£80), does it really mean all expansions, i.e. you never have to pay for any extra of any kind that appears later ?
 

kmw

kmw
Thanks Michael, that's good.
I have bought in at £80 but wasn't sure exactly what was meant by it.

Seems like a good investment for any player that is going to stick around for a while :)
 

Fromhell

Fromhell
A smart move would be not to sell this as an "update", rather as an in fiction "planetary landing license".

You want to land on planets? Better get your license first mate, or we´ll shoot you into pieces.
 

Erimus Kamzel

Erimus Kamzel
Planetary landings should be free to all and not an extra you pay for. Or more precisely anyone who hasn't paid for a planetary landings 'licence' (or whatever the restriction will be), should still be able to go down to a planets surface.

The reason is this...

David Braben has stated it'll be possible to walk around inside your ship and even hitch a ride or stowaway on another players ship. So how will that work if your friend doesn't have the planetary 'add-on' and you do? If he's aboard your ship will the game automatically jettison him out of an airlock if you decide to go planetside since he hasn't paid real money to interact on a planets surface? :eek: I don't think so.

Just make it an add-on that is free for all, not just because of the above scenario, but because I can see a lot of playable content being eventually added on planetary surfaces that can be payable add-ons in themselves. If Frontier Developments make you pay for the planetary landing add-on plenty of people will be happy to give it a miss and FD will have cut themselves off from an even bigger revenue stream that actual surface content can offer up further down the line.
 
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Luniticisi

Luniticisi
Erimus said:
David Braben has stated it'll be possible to walk around inside your ship and even hitch a ride or stowaway on another players ship. So how will that work if your friend doesn't have the planetary 'add-on' and you do? If he's aboard your ship will the game automatically jettison him out of an airlock if you decide to go planetside since he hasn't paid real money to interact on a planets surface? :eek: I don't think so.
Click to expand...

From what I know, walking around on ships and stations will also be a 'paid for add-on' (*edit* or even part of the planetary landings update*edit*) so your friend without the add-ons wouldn't be on your ship in the first place.
 
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Mobius

Mobius
what I would like to know is? how many expansions have FD got planned,
How often do they plan to release them and how much are they expecting to charge for each expansion.
 

JohnStabler

JohnStabler
Erimus said:
If Frontier Developments make you pay for the planetary landing add-on plenty of people will be happy to give it a miss and FD will have cut themselves off from an even bigger revenue stream that actual surface content can offer up further down the line.
Click to expand...

How do you know this? The history of MMOs shows that players who wish to continue playing will pay for the expansion. A handful of people may drop out, but that's usually because they were already on the verge of quitting anyhow.

Given that FD have said from the start that the game will have further expansions and updates I think people are prepared for them. If they were ideologically against them they wouldn't have backed in the first place.

When it comes to whether or not players will buy expansions, Mobius identifies the important factor: how often and how much?
 

Tinman

Tinman
Fromhell said:
A smart move would be not to sell this as an "update", rather as an in fiction "planetary landing license".

You want to land on planets? Better get your license first mate, or we´ll shoot you into pieces.
Click to expand...

I too would prefer if this was written into the fiction, however I think that´s pretty much impossible. If you need a license to land on a planet then exactly who is going to "enforce" this if you fly to an unexplored system/planet and land there? Especially if this system is on the other side of the galaxy?

Using the "atmospheric shielding" as an excuse have similar problems. AKA moons and planets without any atmosphere.
 

JohnStabler

JohnStabler
Tinman said:
I too would prefer if this was written into the fiction, however I think that´s pretty much impossible. If you need a license to land on a planet then exactly who is going to "enforce" this if you fly to an unexplored system/planet and land there? Especially if this system is on the other side of the galaxy?

Using the "atmospheric shielding" as an excuse have similar problems. AKA moons and planets without any atmosphere.
Click to expand...

Indeed, I'm struggling to think of anything convincing. Although that could just be a lack of imagination on my behalf.

I believe David Braben said in one of the KS videos that there will be a re-entry effect (cutscene?). Better off just display a message saying the player can't do it. It's just going to be temporary anyhow.

I'd be interested to know how restrictive it is going to be. Does that mean there's no scooping from gas giants initially?
 
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