Monthly sub ?

[Leo Sagan]

Hey guys !

My question is probably an FAQ, sorry for that : despite all my reading, I remain confused about this.

After the game release, I know that there will be free minor expansions and large ones players will have to buy (and alpha backers will get those for free).
Will ED players have to pay a monthy sub ?

If yes, do we know the price ? Is there a lifetime sub offer ? Or later ?
If no, how will FD make money once the game is sold to maintain servers and keep on developing the game.

Thanks in advance
Stephane

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

No monthly sub.

Post release funding not disclosed at this time. (Partnership / Sponsorship / who knows)

 

[Lex Talionis]

.....

 

[Leo Sagan]

Thanks for the quick reply

 

[Ayo]

I would hope that expansions and continued sales of the game will pay for most of the ongoing costs. The peer-to-peer networking should cut down much of the cost of server maintenance. Selling merchandise through the web store will help. Selling the game directly through there own site means steam aren't getting 20% of sales. Word of mouth advertising is working well, no need to spend massively on advertising if they get the right people looking at the game now. I don't think there would be anything wrong with them selling some tasteful cosmetic items. They could also sell extra character slots. Beyond that I hope they keep the game itself micro-transaction free.

 

[Uridium]

Beyond that I hope they keep the game itself micro-transaction free.

Yes this.... micro-transactions are the death of gaming. Vanity items only.

I'm interested to see that there will not be a monthly fee.

 

[Squicker]

Yes this.... micro-transactions are the death of gaming. Vanity items only.

I'm interested to see that there will not be a monthly fee.

Yes, first sign of micro-transactions I'm off. Far rather pay a monthly sub to keep the quality up rather than fund a cash shop full of tat that only serves to drive quality down.

 

[Maxeren]

Yes, first sign of micro-transactions I'm off. Far rather pay a monthly sub to keep the quality up rather than fund a cash shop full of tat that only serves to drive quality down.

Then goodbye, because MT will most likely be in ED, things like monetization on vanity items etc.

 

[MDK-187]

Yes, first sign of micro-transactions I'm off. Far rather pay a monthly sub to keep the quality up rather than fund a cash shop full of tat that only serves to drive quality down.

I'm yet to see anything official, however I can see that it'll happen in some way / shape / form.

and people will RAGE.

but guess what, it's a business, and business's need to make money to survive / pay shareholders. things like that.

so get in early and pay that $35 pound lifetime expansion pass (whilst it's still being offered) then never have to worry about it again.

 

[Squicker]

but guess what, it's a business, and business's need to make money to survive / pay shareholders. things like that.

Well obviously (and equally obviously many gaming businesses did the things you mentioned above well before the arrival of the dreaded MT or indeed even the Internet and in fact continue to do so using alternative models) , but generally when a game switches\chooses to F2P\cash shop it is the death knell. Some have pulled it off, but most are gash.

Hence why I say sub, but I think the decision was already made a long time ago reading some of the posts.

 

[Iain M Norman]

Our hope lies in the advantage that FD are making a game they want to play.

They have proved they have taste to me already.

So I'm gonna hope they don't want to play a game with an overload of tacky tasteless MT stuff themselves, and trust to their sense of taste, that I feel aligns with many of ours.

 

[Squicker]

Indeed. One only has to look at the games that use the MT model and how they only ever acheive mediocrity to wonder why anyone with aspirations above the pusillanimous would ever adopt that model.

We shall see. I have deliberately set my expectations very low with this game, not as a result of FD themselves, but as a result of the game industry's never-ending ability to disappoint!

I shall call my ship 'The Cynical Foundress' and if it turns out to be ill-named I can break champagne over my monitor in celebration.

Our hope lies in the advantage that FD are making a game they want to play.

They have proved they have taste to me already.

So I'm gonna hope they don't want to play a game with an overload of tacky tasteless MT stuff themselves, and trust to their sense of taste, that I feel aligns with many of ours.

 

[Orc]

I'm yet to see anything official, however I can see that it'll happen in some way / shape / form.

and people will RAGE.

but guess what, it's a business, and business's need to make money to survive / pay shareholders. things like that.

so get in early and pay that $35 pound lifetime expansion pass (whilst it's still being offered) then never have to worry about it again.

This Kickstarter comment is the only official thing I found. Not sure if they have changed their stance on credits for cash. If they go that way, I'll wait for a while after the official release before I decide if the game is worth getting.

 

[Dr Wookie]

Yes, first sign of micro-transactions I'm off. Far rather pay a monthly sub to keep the quality up rather than fund a cash shop full of tat that only serves to drive quality down.

FD have been very quiet on the MT front... the DDF topic was months ago, and they haven't got back.

I think ED is such a passion project that if FD did go down the MT road, they would take every effort to avoid diluting the ED experience. The key thing is that the core gameplay is enhanced by MT, rather than restricted by it. Examples of MT that I would be OK with would be:

--- Cosmetic items

--- Subscriptions to premium in game news feeds that give hints of good current trade routes or pirate activity

--- Hangar fees for storing extra ships. The standard game will support some storage of ships, but you could pay extra for more

--- Extra commander slots for your account

 

[tooterfish]

Indeed. One only has to look at the games that use the MT model and how they only ever acheive mediocrity to wonder why anyone with aspirations above the pusillanimous would ever adopt that model.

Counterpoint: Guild Wars 2.

Best MMO to come out in years and years.

Okay, so that's like being world's tallest dwarf... but its quality as a product can't really be denied.

 

[Squicker]

This Kickstarter comment is the only official thing I found. Not sure if they have changed their stance on credits for cash. If they go that way, I'll wait for a while after the official release before I decide if the game is worth getting.

Interesting, I really did not know that, despite backing as a Founder since day one. Buying cash is the ultimate in cheapening a game and wrecking balance.

Thanks for posting, I really should pay more attention to these projects! ;-)

 

[Squicker]

Counterpoint: Guild Wars 2.

Best MMO to come out in years and years.

Okay, so that's like being world's tallest dwarf... but its quality as a product can't really be denied.

Well, that's highly subjective. I played it upon release and thought it was a shallow, horrible, unfinished game full of children. My personal opinion obviously!

I gave my account away to a friend after a few weeks and he *did* like it, until end-game, where he correlated with me in that it does not actually exist.

I think it's probably a debate that can never be won, because each party could find cases to shore up their side. There are definitely more cases of failed MT style games however but...That could simply be because the MMO genre is dead anyway and the fallback position to a cash-shop is merely a transition stage in the death of anything released into that genre.

I suppose it really comes down to what the guy said earlier, is ED a good game made by people who want to play that very game? Ie are passionate about it? If so then I'd have to concede - much as I find cash shops 'trashy' - the game may be able to overcome such limitations by virtue of simply being a great game.

So we shall have to see...

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

microtransactions for anything other than cosmetics for a game which already costs £70 (inc DLC) would be daylight robbery imo.

Would buying in game currency with real cash surprise me??? No probably not but I will be very disappointed if it happens.

On the other hand, if you want to pay real cash for extra silicon on the top end of your dashboard dancing lady, well that is fine with me as it does not affect the game balance at all
.

Counterpoint: Guild Wars 2.

Best MMO to come out in years and years.

Okay, so that's like being world's tallest dwarf... but its quality as a product can't really be denied.

WarThunder I think is an example of a game which works ok with MT's - indeed I have put over 70hrs into it and still loving it.

The thing is, I dont mind so much if it is a bit grindy unless you splash cash as the game is free.

but to introduce a similar cash shop structure into a full retail game is double dipping imo.

 

[tooterfish]

Subscriptions to premium in game news feeds that give hints of good current trade routes or pirate activity

Funnily enough, I'm not too bothered about in game credits for cash (because money on its own won't confer that much advantage), but this just seems wrong. Splitting newsfeeds into paid and unpaid tiers, big no from me.

I played it upon release and thought it was a shallow, horrible, unfinished game full of children.

Like I said, best MMO out in years...

 

[Gen-Han-Solo]

If you have bought the game any packs above second round BETA i.e
Premium BETA ALFA get all expansions Free .
But even if you buy just the game pack buy the expansion pack as well all expansions are then free . Is I believe how it works .

Hey guys !

My question is probably an FAQ, sorry for that : despite all my reading, I remain confused about this.

After the game release, I know that there will be free minor expansions and large ones players will have to buy (and alpha backers will get those for free).
Will ED players have to pay a monthy sub ?

If yes, do we know the price ? Is there a lifetime sub offer ? Or later ?
If no, how will FD make money once the game is sold to maintain servers and keep on developing the game.

Thanks in advance
Stephane