Lifetime pass and general update questions

[Diagbar]

Hello OP and others reading this!

To answer OP's questions, all LEP holders will receive the 2020 release free as part of their pass. Other Commanders will need to purchase the content if they want to play it. Any other updates coming this year will be free for all Elite Dangerous players, so keep an eye on our forums and social channels for more information on what's coming.

At the time of writing, we've not revealed any information regarding the 2020 release. Earlier in this thread, Viajero linked to one of my forum responses which offers a summary of why we haven't released any information, and this may be of interest to you!



This thread will reopen shortly, so please stay on topic!

hello tell me, have you ever thought that what you are doing may be ... hmm ... (how could I describe it better, so that I would not be accused of toxicity?) may be ... wrong, uninteresting for the players themselves? perhaps, all the same it is worth showing to the players (at least those who are really worried about the state of the project, and not showing those who do not want to know what you are working on and whether you are working at all) what you have at the moment so that they can suggest any things and help, make the game better, in the end, among the players there are people who love this game as much as you. Moreover, if you put the boundary between "we work, see what happened" and "we promise"
adequate people would not have any complaints against you, but what does a person who is worried about the project (I speak for myself) think when they don’t see news on the development of the project? if you do not show anything, then there is no development = no work. There are a lot of people (I am among them) who refer to ed as a parent to their child. What does a loving parent think when it receives no news from a child? something happened, probably something really bad. Of course, I said it figuratively. but hopefully clear enough.

 

[CMDR Big Mike]

hello tell me, have you ever thought that what you are doing may be ... hmm ... (how could I describe it better, so that I would not be accused of toxicity?) may be ... wrong, uninteresting for the players themselves? perhaps, all the same it is worth showing to the players (at least those who are really worried about the state of the project, and not showing those who do not want to know what you are working on and whether you are working at all) what you have at the moment so that they can suggest any things and help, make the game better, in the end, among the players there are people who love this game as much as you. Moreover, if you put the boundary between "we work, see what happened" and "we promise"
adequate people would not have any complaints against you, but what does a person who is worried about the project (I speak for myself) think when they don’t see news on the development of the project? if you do not show anything, then there is no development = no work. There are a lot of people (I am among them) who refer to ed as a parent to their child. What does a loving parent think when it receives no news from a child? something happened, probably something really bad. Of course, I said it figuratively. but hopefully clear enough.

The reality is that you are not a part of the development team. As such, they are under no obligation to reveal what state the project is in, as that is internal company knowledge. Additionally, there is no point in telling "just those that want to know". In today's times, if you're going to tell one person, you may as well tell everyone (see the "leak" that came out). You are a customer, not an investor or employee.

Do I wish that we culd get some more information? of course. But lets not act like we are entitled to be cc'd on Fdev's emails

 

[Riverside]

The reality is that you are not a part of the development team. As such, they are under no obligation to reveal what state the project is in, as that is internal company knowledge. Additionally, there is no point in telling "just those that want to know". In today's times, if you're going to tell one person, you may as well tell everyone (see the "leak" that came out). You are a customer, not an investor or employee.

Do I wish that we culd get some more information? of course. But lets not act like we are entitled to be cc'd on Fdev's emails

That they do not wish to reveal all is understood, there is plenty that can still be said that is not which creates awkward situations just like this, and leads me to the conclusion that they can be as secretive as they like without my extra LEP money. It wasn't this way before, it doesn't have to be now. Dev updates, sneak peeks in the newsletter, general confidence inspiring communication. Last week's livestream on the Krait was great - let's have that same level of info on this. It doesn't need a livestream, just contribute to the thread.

If I hadn't paid extra for the LEP I'd be pretty happy with the game overall, and would have little to nothing to complain about with regard to updates or timescales for future content. Anything more than we have is just a bonus (as long as it isn't detrimental to the existing game).



But I did buy an LEP in 2015 & quite frankly I just want that extra money back. Had I known that extra would provide ZERO value four years after paying and that I would still have no information (other than a moving, ever more distant and vague date) I would not have paid that extra. I think it is disgraceful behaviour.

 

[Diagbar]

The reality is that you are not a part of the development team. As such, they are under no obligation to reveal what state the project is in, as that is internal company knowledge. Additionally, there is no point in telling "just those that want to know". In today's times, if you're going to tell one person, you may as well tell everyone (see the "leak" that came out). You are a customer, not an investor or employee.

Do I wish that we culd get some more information? of course. But lets not act like we are entitled to be cc'd on Fdev's emails

Of course, like you, I am just a “consumer”, but, as I said, people are different, there are those to whom the condition of the elite is very important, and there are those to whom it is completely indifferent. Can I influence the development? not. Can I give advice because how to make so that no one was disappointed? yes I can. that's what i did now. those who want to know about how things are going, you could find out, those who don’t need it, could just pass by. In addition, as I have already said, it is possible, and it is possible and necessary to put a clear line between "we work, we succeed and we do not" and "we promise that it will be so."
that, before that leak, it is difficult to describe in words how much I was inspired by the fact that I saw it, and especially by the fact that it began to be confirmed.

 

[VR jefranklin18]

That they do not wish to reveal all is understood, there is plenty that can still be said that is not which creates awkward situations just like this, and leads me to the conclusion that they can be as secretive as they like without my extra LEP money. It wasn't this way before, it doesn't have to be now. Dev updates, sneak peeks in the newsletter, general confidence inspiring communication. Last week's livestream on the Krait was great - let's have that same level of info on this. It doesn't need a livestream, just contribute to the thread.

An idea about the state of fleet carriers and the snow planet updates are would be a start. These have already been revealed in FX17 so I would have thought they do not have to be so secretive about them, unless they are well and truly behind schedule or deprioritised.

However, I will not be holding my breath.

 

[babelfisch]

That they do not wish to reveal all is understood, there is plenty that can still be said that is not which creates awkward situations just like this, and leads me to the conclusion that they can be as secretive as they like without my extra LEP money. It wasn't this way before, it doesn't have to be now. Dev updates, sneak peeks in the newsletter, general confidence inspiring communication. Last week's livestream on the Krait was great - let's have that same level of info on this. It doesn't need a livestream, just contribute to the thread.

IIRC Horizons was announced 4 or 5 months before release. Technically we know more about the next paid expansion than we did in 2015...

 

[Rob At Work]

Welcome to the Colony my fellow LEPper.

If you struggle to find us, we are located next to the Mushroom Club.

 

[zimms]

An idea about the state of fleet carriers and the snow planet updates are would be a start. These have already been revealed in FX17 so I would have thought they do not have to be so secretive about them, unless they are well and truly behind schedule or deprioritised.

However, I will not be holding my breath.

The word is reprioritised. And they can't be behind schedule since there is no schedule. Frontier haven't figured out yet what to do with carriers. At least that's the last info we got.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

The word is reprioritised.

This was the last info.

And they can't be behind schedule since there is no schedule. Frontier haven't figured out yet what to do with carriers. At least that's the last info we got.

This is all made up guess work.

 

[zimms]

Pretty sure they told us they don't know if they will be part of the 2020 update. Might just as well come later, no concrete plans yet.

If you have a source I don't know of that says they will come with the 2020 update at the latest, feel free to link me to it. Or is that just guess work on your part?

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Pretty sure they told us they don't know if they will be part of the 2020 update. Might just as well come later, no concrete plans yet.

Just because they haven't told doesn't mean they don't know. They have said they are still on the interenal road map. It would be nice to get them before the 2020 update, but I am not hedging my bets.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

Hello OP and others reading this!

To answer OP's questions, all LEP holders will receive the 2020 release free as part of their pass. Other Commanders will need to purchase the content if they want to play it.

optional ay? interesting...

Does it come with a side of bugs? i still haven't finished my bugs from this season

 

[Riverside]

IIRC Horizons was announced 4 or 5 months before release. Technically we know more about the next paid expansion than we did in 2015...

You have a point, on that one specific detail that was (from my perspective) a reaction to the playerbase wanting to know - you guessed it - what was going on in threads just like this one

If I have a car in the bodyshop for some welding & painting it might be in the back of the shop under a dust cover for a year before a window opens up in the diary. It's not urgent, but every so often I'll pop over to see how it's going. Maybe something has been done, maybe they haven't had time this month, maybe they are waiting on a part or on one memorable occasion, a guy nearly lost a thumb & spent a fortnight off work. What they don't do is say 'we'll shout it from the rooftops when we have something to announce'. If they did I'd be looking to get the shell back along with any pre-paid money not already consumed & take it somewhere else.

 

[Sir.Tj]

To be fair your analogy isn't really on point.

I'd say it would be more like this.

You own a really nice car that you enjoy using every day and get a great deal of pleaseure from.
The manufaturer makes a statement saying "We are working on a free upgrade for your vehicle which will add extra horsepower, one of those massively big exhaust pipes that annoy everyone in a 2 mile radius and a sunbling that says Sharon and Gary. They then go on to say "We're working hard on this and when it's ready we'll let you know"

In the meantime however, you are still able to drive, use and enjoy your vehicle while the manufacturer is working on how to fix a bucket onto a hosepipe. however everytime they are asked "Is it ready yet?" every few days they have to stop working on the upgrade and push you back out of the door saying "We'll let you know mate."

We've all been here many times before and Frontier hae often stated their stance on how they will make their announcements.

I honestly and truly understand the frustrations some feel I really do I'm a LEP KS backer and I'd love new content and I'm on a extended hiatus from the game at the moment but in this case I suspect that this situation isn't changing anytime soon.

It's a game we all love but at the end of the day..it's just a game.

 

[WR3ND]

Not free, at no additional cost.

We also paid for the luxury of waiting indefinitely for what we already paid for, gosh darn it.

Frontier got a pretty epic deal on the 2015 LEP transaction indeed! It's not even vaporware as it hasn't even been described yet, just something more maybe sometime if they get around to it.

Not meaning to imply that they're scam artists, mind you. I think they did plan to deliver enough content eventually to fulfill or exceed the purchase price of the LEP. Though as of now I'm not sure if these plans have changed or not, with the realities of the pace of development and marketing viability.

 

[Riverside]

To be fair your analogy isn't really on point.

I'd say it would be more like this.

You own a really nice car that you enjoy using every day and get a great deal of pleaseure from.
The manufaturer makes a statement saying "We are working on a free upgrade for your vehicle which will add extra horsepower, one of those massively big exhaust pipes that annoy everyone in a 2 mile radius and a sunbling that says Sharon and Gary. They then go on to say "We're working hard on this and when it's ready we'll let you know"

In the meantime however, you are still able to drive, use and enjoy your vehicle while the manufacturer is working on how to fix a bucket onto a hosepipe. however everytime they are asked "Is it ready yet?" every few days they have to stop working on the upgrade and push you back out of the door saying "We'll let you know mate."

We've all been here many times before and Frontier hae often stated their stance on how they will make their announcements.

I honestly and truly understand the frustrations some feel I really do I'm a LEP KS backer and I'd love new content and I'm on a extended hiatus from the game at the moment but in this case I suspect that this situation isn't changing anytime soon.

It's a game we all love but at the end of the day..it's just a game.

In your analogy, had this optional fart can exhaust been paid for in advance? As I stated in my first post in this thread a non-LEPer has little to nothing to complain about regarding the secrecy or timescale, anything extra is just a bonus.

If I hadn't paid extra for the LEP I'd be pretty happy with the game overall, and would have little to nothing to complain about with regard to updates or timescales for future content. Anything more than we have is just a bonus (as long as it isn't detrimental to the existing game).



But I did buy an LEP in 2015 & quite frankly I just want that extra money back. Had I known that extra would provide ZERO value four years after paying and that I would still have no information (other than a moving, ever more distant and vague date) I would not have paid that extra. I think it is disgraceful behaviour.

I appreciate that many customers are in that position and I have categorically stated several times that I would prefer to sit in that camp, reverting my account to a regular horizons (beta) account. That would solve the problem as far as I'm concerned.

So if FDev would like to provide a way to make that transition smooth & amicable I'd be happy to put this to rest.

All I'm looking for is a progress update. It's not an unreasonable request. I appreciate the desire for secrecy (I don't agree with it after this long), I appreciate that companies don't like to give money back if they can avoid it, but this situation of 'wait just a little longer' has gone on too long already.

Frontier: Do you intend to release sufficient premium content to make the 2015 LEP worthwhile? If so over what sort of timescale to you currently anticipate the 2015 LEP will come good? And of course if not, how do I get that refund for the value not yet redeemed?

 

[Viajero]

To be fair your analogy isn't really on point.

I'd say it would be more like this.

You own a really nice car that you enjoy using every day and get a great deal of pleaseure from.
The manufaturer makes a statement saying "We are working on a free upgrade for your vehicle which will add extra horsepower, one of those massively big exhaust pipes that annoy everyone in a 2 mile radius and a sunbling that says Sharon and Gary. They then go on to say "We're working hard on this and when it's ready we'll let you know"

In the meantime however, you are still able to drive, use and enjoy your vehicle while the manufacturer is working on how to fix a bucket onto a hosepipe. however everytime they are asked "Is it ready yet?" every few days they have to stop working on the upgrade and push you back out of the door saying "We'll let you know mate."

We've all been here many times before and Frontier hae often stated their stance on how they will make their announcements.

I honestly and truly understand the frustrations some feel I really do I'm a LEP KS backer and I'd love new content and I'm on a extended hiatus from the game at the moment but in this case I suspect that this situation isn't changing anytime soon.

It's a game we all love but at the end of the day..it's just a game.

Indeed, (except not really free... just all included in the initial price paid )

I think no one in this forum would disagree that more information and earlier, is better than no information or later. As players and gamers that is basically the mootest of moot points.

Thing is by now those that have been following the development (many in this thread) should all be pretty much fully aware of FDEV´s modus operandi regarding announcements and new content info. There should be little room for surprises or outrages there. Horizons was announced a few months before release, Beyond was announced a few months before release, the 2019 updates roadmap was announced a few months before release... I think the pattern is very clear: If there is no new info about the new Era is probably likely due to it not being close to release... etc.

The actual "complaint" here could therefore be not about information per se (se above moot point and modus operandi) but about the time is taking FDEV to get there (and yet some may disagree). The thing is, deciding about how and when to get there is precisely and solely the prerrogative of the developer in this case. The new Era is not funded by a kickstarter or crowdfunding, like vanilla was. FDEV is spending its own funds and doing with them as they well please.

We can wish there was more information sooner, and we will all agree, but that is hardly grounds for spamming and hijacking these LEP discussions (that have very specific OP questions) with refund requests based on personal or anecdotical grievances. For those there are other channels.

What we can do as a consumer is hold the vendor accountable to his content and date promises. And so far these are the promises with regards to the new Era (including LEPs):

• Content details: no promises whatsoever.
• Dates: 2020.

That is it, so far.

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

• Content: no promises whatsoever.
• Dates: 2020.

That is it, so far.

• Content: no promises whatsoever.
• Dates: 2020.
• Bugs... there will be bugs...

missed one

 

[WR3ND]

Now then, when can we expect the 2+ more premium expansions beyond the 2020 update?

And if not when...

Does Frontier even plan on making them?

 

[mojonaut]

The reality is that you are not a part of the development team. As such, they are under no obligation to reveal what state the project is in,

I could accept that if it's how it'd always been, yet when they first needed our money they were everywhere like flea's on a dog. High forum use, Braben's Dev Diary and his Progress Diary video's, Brookes' Fiction Diaries, nowadays we're just treated with contempt.

Now they've multiple revenue streams we're kept in the dark, even the Snoozeletter has gone fortnightly and still no 'Sneak Peeks' for years (or real news for that matter).