Lifetime pass discussion thread.

[CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE]

The lifetime pass is strange concept for me....asking for a huge leap of faith based on a road map nobody but FD can see (and even then I bet they don't really know).

The details for Horizons is sketchy enough - I have no idea if that expansion is worth it, what it offers other than the obvious rocky planet landings and dune buggy style vehicles.

I don't know between these two threads and this video I'd say we know quite a bit now, at least of what will be in Horizons at the start if not the middle/end of the season:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=172362
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=177063
https://youtu.be/ExHRRb3FhrU

But you're right without seeing any gameplay/screenshots it's quite a bit of wonga to cough up.

 

[Archeus]

Only a few days

http://savepic.org/7626783.jpg

If you are buying a car (or any expensive item) and the person gives you a deadline then you walk away. The point of the deadline is to force you into buying something you may not have otherwise.

I haven't seen anything that justifies a lifetime pass.

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

I don't know between these two threads and this video I'd say we know quite a bit now, at least of what will be in Horizons at the start if not the middle/end of the season:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=172362
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=177063
https://youtu.be/ExHRRb3FhrU

But you're right without seeing any gameplay/screenshots it's quite a bit of wonga to cough up.

Actually, some comments on another thread made me pause on the 'at the start' assumption.

We have, as you say, quite a detailed feature list for the landings bit of horizons. I assumed that it was detailed because it was pretty much done: content must be pretty much locked down now for a release in november/december. Then we know the name of 'loot & crafting' (and enough that people expecting MMO-style crafting are likely to be disappointed). And then pretty much nothing else.

But, actually, I do not recall FD saying that the long and interesting landings features would all be there in the first drop. Sure, that was the conclusion I leapt to, but was it stated and I missed it, or was it not stated and we are all jumping to conclusions? Because it could be that one of the reasons the details post 'loot & crafting' are missing is that some/most/all of that time will be spent doing more of the landings stuff that we thought would be in the 'Holidays' drop, but was never planned for then.

 

[CMDR MAIN SEQUENCE]

But, actually, I do not recall FD saying that the long and interesting landings features would all be there in the first drop. Sure, that was the conclusion I leapt to, but was it stated and I missed it, or was it not stated and we are all jumping to conclusions? Because it could be that one of the reasons the details post 'loot & crafting' are missing is that some/most/all of that time will be spent doing more of the landings stuff that we thought would be in the 'Holidays' drop, but was never planned for then.

It's a good point, but we know that FD have a history of only revealing the contents of the next update. Based on that I suspect (I hope) that everything they have told us so far will be in Horizons 1.0 - especially as they have made a point of stating that the looting and crafting will not be in until Q1 (presumably Horizons 1.1 or 1.2). Anything beyond that they are not ready to tell us yet and probably won't until Mar/Apr at the earliest.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

It's a good point, but we know that FD have a history of only revealing the contents of the next update. Based on that I suspect (I hope) that everything they have told us so far will be in Horizons 1.0 - especially as they have made a point of stating that the looting and crafting will not be in until Q1 (presumably Horizons 1.1 or 1.2). Anything beyond that they are not ready to tell us yet and probably won't until Mar/Apr at the earliest.

Not fully. They have said ice volcanoes, lava coming later than 2.0 release. I think this peacemeal way to delivery news is to maximize on hype. So they can talk about landings stuff because that's on their agenda. They will hype looting and crafting when that release comes.

 

[znôrt]

This might mean that the lifetime passes have sold very well, starting eating up future profits since so many will have lifetime. Just a guess ofcourse.

it could also mean the opposite, that it didn't reach the expected objective in time. maybe they counted on that cash being available, or maybe sales were so low they prefer to go for a quick last squeeze and then forget about it.

but there's also good discounts on paint job right now so i'm betting someone in financial dept is having itches.

if you ask me? frontier: anything, say it in software. my money is ready.

 

[Kramster]

You would hope so. Surely even FD realise that not all players still 'have the faith' to buy blind. But if not, then the choice seems obvious to me: buy the lifetime pass, or walk away for a few years, and pick up a pile of stuff for next to nothing. The choices in between seem much more expansive.

My plan in a nutshell...errmm forum post
I may dive into CQC a bit to keep my Warthog from rejecting me but the rest? I will wait, watch and catch up with some of the great games I have missed out on for the last 12 months.

 

[Monk]

Not fully. They have said ice volcanoes, lava coming later than 2.0 release. I think this peacemeal way to delivery news is to maximize on hype. So they can talk about landings stuff because that's on their agenda. They will hype looting and crafting when that release comes.

Is it probably safe to assume that there will be a similar number of updates as there were with initial release?

2.0 - Planetary Landings
2.1 - loot/craft
2.3 - stuff
2.4 - Stuff
2.5 - more stuff
with 3.0 and a new season Q4 2016

This would keep them on a 2-3 month release cycle.

 

[Herik]

I remember when they said something similiar in the past, "Get it now before it's gone forever", where "forever" actually meant a few months.

I'm afraid I'm just not interested in paying up front for anything, and I don't believe a word I hear/read from FD.

Yeah, of course you could change your focus; SC. is truly believable... (Only a joke folks).

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Is it probably safe to assume that there will be a similar number of updates as there were with initial release?

2.0 - Planetary Landings
2.1 - loot/craft
2.3 - stuff
2.4 - Stuff
2.5 - more stuff
with 3.0 and a new season Q4 2016

This would keep them on a 2-3 month release cycle.

I think so. As Tinman would have said, it is consistent with their development patterns - first three releases relatively close to each other, then summer pause/trade shows/balancing/tweaking/fixing thing, then Season 3 reveals, then one release at September, and another release end of November/first half of December.

Considering this is being UK/EU, with good social benefits, one of them being obligatory paid for vacation, FD clearly plans around it.

 

[Ref Minor]

I paid £20 on Kickstarter and £35 for the expansion pass, so I am good with pretty much whatever FD choose to do.

 

[Monk]

I paid £20 on Kickstarter and £35 for the expansion pass, so I am good with pretty much whatever FD choose to do.

How this reply makes me feel

Spoiler

 

[clavain]

Is it probably safe to assume that there will be a similar number of updates as there were with initial release?

2.0 - Planetary Landings
2.1 - loot/craft and bug fixes
2.3 - bug fixes that fix some things and break other stuff
2.4 - more bug fixes
2.5 - even more bug fixes
2.6 - fairly playable but roundly dismissed as incomplete planetary landings

Fixed it for you

 

[clavain]

Commander PiLhEaD rested back in a comfy chair with an air of smug self-satisfaction as he flicked idly through the forum. For he had purchased the lifetime expansion back in beta for only thirty five of the currency the terrans called pounds.

'Worthers, I shall be taking my tea in my man-cave, with two chocolate hob-nobs, thank you.'

'Very well sir.' Worthers' voice was the colour of the ancient and rare woods that lined the study.

Aaah, but that was back in the day when The Emperor Braben, may we bask in His Greatness, said the game was going to cost 10 quid and each expansion 5. Wait until FDev send around the collection agency to notify you of the changes and the markup owing. Shurely they aren't selling the same 10 quid game for 60, and a 5 quid expansion for 60 with the same amount of (incomplete) content?

 

[Monk]

..deleted..

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Aaah, but that was back in the day when The Emperor Braben, may we bask in His Greatness, said the game was going to cost 10 quid and each expansion 5. Wait until FDev send around the collection agency to notify you of the changes and the markup owing. Shurely they aren't selling the same 10 quid game for 60, and a 5 quid expansion for 60 with the same amount of (incomplete) content?

A few possible reasons.

1) They discovered the cost of developing a game of this scale was much higher than they expected (might seem hard to believe with experienced people in control, but in software development one of the largest variables is estimations of development times for a peice of functionality... and of couse, clients don't want to hear "well, it might take anywhere between 1 and 100 hours to implement")

2) They discovered through kickstarter there was less interest than they expected, so knew sales were going to be lower, so had to jack up the unit price to cover development costs (possibly a little more believable, but wasn't the kickstarter there to judge interest levels before they went to get more from private investors?)

3) They realized their initial price assessment was way off - or the finance guys had been screaming at Braben that no way could they do at that price and finally got him to understand this.

4) Their planned scope for each release got bigger and bigger. With the DDF going full tilt, they ran into scope creep. Suddenly what was planned as a 10 euro game became a lot more expensive.

Or perhaps a combination of factors, which in business is often the case.

Personally, i don't care what the reason is, i know the business very well and know how hard it can be to get things right. As a customer i only care that i'm getting value for money. At over 600 hours for 60 Euro, i'm totally cool.

 

[PiLhEaD]

Aaah, but that was back in the day when The Emperor Braben, may we bask in His Greatness, said the game was going to cost 10 quid and each expansion 5. Wait until FDev send around the collection agency to notify you of the changes and the markup owing. Shurely they aren't selling the same 10 quid game for 60, and a 5 quid expansion for 60 with the same amount of (incomplete) content?

Commander PiLhEaD rested back observing the glowing tip of his cigar with an idle curiosity, 'Worthers?'

'Mmm yes sir?'

'Ahh Worthers, my jolly chum Calvin Fortescue tells me that there is gossip in the village that Braben the butcher intends to up his prices, and to do this retropectively.'

'Really sir? I find that,' Worthers allowed gravity to tip the edges of his lips downward, 'rather hard to imagine sir.'

'So do I, it sounds like jolly tommy-rot to me!' the Commander pulled hard on the cigar, pluming a blue cloud, 'But, on the half chance that the bounder tries it on, should we warn cook?'

'Mm yes sir, I shall inform cook,' Worthers slid towards the door as if on castors, 'and in the mean time I shall set the dogs loose in the grounds.'

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

10 pounds per unit is obvious bookkeeping mambo jumbo. It is careful underpromise for shareholders in case ED would fail badly. It didn't. That's why that number is moot. Since Kickstarter preorder price tag was 35 pounds, with David saying game will cost full price. There's nothing much left to speculate about.

 

[Himmel Tropf]

The lifetime pass is strange concept for me....asking for a huge leap of faith based on a road map nobody but FD can see (and even then I bet they don't really know).

The details for Horizons is sketchy enough - I have no idea if that expansion is worth it, what it offers other than the obvious rocky planet landings and dune buggy style vehicles.

£130 on a hunch is a lot......no pressure though

Yeah it's a marketing tool plain and simple. The whole point is to convince people of a scarcity and let their speculation take hold of their wallets with regards to the 'what if it goes up in price' in the future...
To me the speculation as to what the cost will provide outweighs that.
That, and I feel FD have put minimal effort into developing a base game platform from which to nickel and dime their expansions.

 

[Wicz]

I feel FD have put minimal effort into developing a base game platform from which to nickel and dime their expansions.

Indeed!

Paying for another instalment of "as little as they can get away with" just doesn't sound appealing to me, and paying for all future instalments in advance is simply never going to happen.

Maybe I'm old fashioned?