Obsidian Ant video - ARX: Thoughts On The New Currency And What It Means

[Far Beyond Driven]

Curious are you aware of the average age of your viewers?

I do think that the arxe credits is probably a more generational issue between those who played games well before such things existed and younger players brought up on games that have them.

I was born in 85 so im somewhere in the middle but I dont view arxe being added as a bad thing but I think we'll only see how good or bad it becomes when and if legs and co is added and the store is full of space suits and gun skins.

I wanted to chime in at the end of this thread with a similar comment. Glad to see someone already did and put it much better than I ever could.

The ability to earn cash shop cosmetics in game for free is cool.

Buying your spaceship game and getting visual ship customization included in that purchase is my perfect world. Something I use to expect by default.

Times change, and its to great an experience to miss out on so it gets a pass from me, espically since its done more decent than most other modern day developers ever would...

Lets hope it stays this way and sticks to cosmetics.

 

[Shiro Akai]

ARX, by the looks of the in-game store UI, remind me SWTOR shop; both with general design and prices. SWTOR is a MMO RPG set in Star Wars universe, first started as a sub based game, later turned into F2P with premium (paid) accounts and free accounts with limitations. On top of that in-game shop was introduced. Shop itself provides paid unlocks to skip on free account limitations (from memory, things like: permision to equip epic gear, additional bag space, fast travel shorter CDs, hide gear slots, unify colors and similar), mount variations or armors and weapons*.

Currency (called Cartel Coins) to spend on above you get by:

• direct, IRL money, purchase
• monthly grant from premium subscription (still paid but with your payment you get "free" Cartel Coins, on top of access to full features, without limitations)
• monthly grant from having 2-step verification (small amount, 500 CC IIRC)
• some quests reward CC, max I saw was 20 CC and it is rather rare, more of a bonus than reliable source

* - SWTOR has quite interesting approach to those. There is a type of gear that is statless as long as you don't fill its slots with mods, crystals and enhancements that provide actual stats. So gear sold in shop is purely cosmetic item as crystals, mods and enhancements are earned by playing game. The only disputable item are color crystals as they provide slight stat increase, beside color option. Not big increase tho but sparring 2 lvl 1 players with one having said crystal, this one will have slight advantage (but not game breaking and in P2W field).

From what I learned about ARX it has lots of similarities with SWTOR. Take a look:

SWTOR Cartel Market in-game shop:

(note: 25k CC is quite a lot)
picture source: Google image search, not mine


ARX:

What I appreciate from ARX is the fact that you can earn this new currency by just playing the game. I expect weekly limit to be set rather low and prices high so you'll be always under and not enough ARX, more compelled to make additional IRL purchase. But unlocking current IRL money locked cosmetics into the game, giving the abilility to get those cosmetics by just playing the game (with obvious large time commitment) is a welcome change.

I'm aware that in the end we won't be much happier with the new shop. FDEVs follow a road of microtransactions ecopnomy that adds another layer between player, his purchase and final product or service. Layer thats true purpose is to make real calculations difficult. IRL money to ARX conversion. Then subtract the amount you actually need for X purchase. Be left with 1589 ARX and need another 697 to be able to buy Y purchase. But shop offers packs of ARX of 500, 750 and 1120 ARX.

There is whole science behind those weird prices, all calculated to leave you with not enough (subconscious urge to top it to some round number / unable to make purchase) or to leave you with spare change (feels like investment made but no benefit from it). Seen that, know how it works, worried a bit it comes to ED. But OTOH I'm not much of an impusle buyer, I can resist making compulsive purchases. My local currency exchange to $ or € which is used to buy ARX, Cartel Coins or any other premium currency keeps me in check. $5 for a 1000 VPC (virtual premium currency) doesn't sound like much. Multiply it times 4 to get amount of IRL money I have to spend and suddenly whole business with cosmetics doesn't look profitable from th ebuyer perspective.

I'm awaiting ARX implementation, curious how it will turn out but I have my reservations, based on experience.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

I'm awaiting ARX implementation, curious how it will turn out but I have my reservations, based on experience.

How did you get 25000 cartel coins? I think you're technically a whale.

Personally i've wanted to say quite a bit more regarding cash shop purchase experience from other games, but i just decided to zip it on this topic because everything is worse than what it is now, and best not to stir up trouble. Nothing is going to be better than the simple and stupid approach of just buying stuff directly.. and it can only be worse.

Yes change manipulation is real and we should be wary of it in any new system, though it already is being actively done on console. I have change sitting there unused on console. The only save for me is the points are so damn expensive in my currency that its not tempting to do anything about it.

 

[Shiro Akai]

How did you get 25000 cartel coins? I think you're technically a whale.

Hehe, wish I had that amount. Not mine, just random screenshot taken from the internetz.

On a sitting change - that's the whole point. With direct purchase you can make conscious decission about purchase. You can make a rational call - is it worth.

With confusing system it's harder to actually calculate the final price and that's the point. Those systems are not designed to be clear, easy and better. Their intention is to make things more hidden, vague and indirect. With constant spare sitting there and nagging: "you spent money and didn't get anything from it, you're at loss. See, there's a cosmetic for 720 ARX while you have just 690. It's just 30 ARX and you'll have it. Add some ARX to your account and for 30 ARX you'll have that cosmetic. Bargin right. 690 ARX you already have. Small investment and we're done".

This is exactly what bothers me with ARX. I'm just glad ARX can be earned by just playing the game. Tho, as I mentioned already, I expect income values being rather low.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Your banker knows that the money you are currently using is already virtual money.

It's not false.

 

[amigacooke {macOS}]

But there are many more Elite communities. My YouTube channel has a very active community, many of which never visit either the forums or Reddit.

I think it's fair to point out that some 'content creators' are not ED exclusive, and some users are not platform exclusive.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Alternatively, play game to receive virtual money. Just as FDev said

We will see the principle and the details for the payments.

 

[Viajero]

Whilst there can definitely be some good information here, and there's also certainly a whole lot of genuinely nice people here, the Elite Dangerous community does not revolve purely around these forums. .

No way, what nonsense is that now.

 

[amigacooke {macOS}]

While I dislike the need to buy another currency with pounds sterling, I like the idea of earning Arxs just by playing the game, though it appears I may be able to login, do nothing but earn Arx, and then log out again. In my case the chances of Frontier getting pound sterling for bits and bobs has gone down, but I assume they've done their homework and know that some won't have any problem handing over money that will lie in Frontier's coffers.

In short, thanks to those who are going to pay to keep the game going for me.

 

[WR3ND]

While I dislike the need to buy another currency with pounds sterling, I like the idea of earning Arxs just by playing the game, though it appears I may be able to login, do nothing but earn Arx, and then log out again. In my case the chances of Frontier getting pound sterling for bits and bobs has gone down, but I assume they've done their homework and know that some won't have any problem handing over money that will lie in Frontier's coffers.

In short, thanks to those who are going to pay to keep the game going for me.

Already have been, mate, and you're welcome.

Not too sure about what sort of game we'll be getting for it now though.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

Hehe, wish I had that amount. Not mine, just random screenshot taken from the internetz.

On a sitting change - that's the whole point. With direct purchase you can make conscious decission about purchase. You can make a rational call - is it worth.

With confusing system it's harder to actually calculate the final price and that's the point. Those systems are not designed to be clear, easy and better. Their intention is to make things more hidden, vague and indirect. With constant spare sitting there and nagging: "you spent money and didn't get anything from it, you're at loss. See, there's a cosmetic for 720 ARX while you have just 690. It's just 30 ARX and you'll have it. Add some ARX to your account and for 30 ARX you'll have that cosmetic. Bargin right. 690 ARX you already have. Small investment and we're done".

This is exactly what bothers me with ARX. I'm just glad ARX can be earned by just playing the game. Tho, as I mentioned already, I expect income values being rather low.

I think the concession they are offering is allowing you to earn some from gameplay.

Frontier aren't the smartest developer when it comes to product offerings, because of that im not expecting it to be too bad or too good, just right in the middle of 'shut up and take my money' interesting and painful.

All i can say is the previous pricing model required alot of goodwill to carry it. Without frontier putting in decent free patches and filling their shoes as the "developer" in this games as a service arrangement, the value proposition of the cosmetics is woefully poor. You can get steam sale games for the price of a ship kit. Frontier make you buy duplicates over multiple accounts and over linked pc and console accounts.

If its just change for changes sake giving something away for gameplay and going from there is probably the best they could do.

 

[Viajero]

Some for the better and others for the worse.

Only time will tell if Elite is jumping the shark.

Re time, almost 5 years and counting without jumping the shark yet. Any time now probably.

 

[amigacooke {macOS}]

Not too sure about what sort of game we'll getting for it now though.

Between them Frontier and CIG have come up with the video game versions of 'Waiting for Godot'

 

[Deleted member 182079]

Curious are you aware of the average age of your viewers?

I do think that the arxe credits is probably a more generational issue between those who played games well before such things existed and younger players brought up on games that have them.

I was born in 85 so im somewhere in the middle but I dont view arxe being added as a bad thing but I think we'll only see how good or bad it becomes when and if legs and co is added and the store is full of space suits and gun skins.

That, and also the fact that players on consoles are already accustomed to Frontier points. I don't know what the player base split is between PC and consoles, but PC players definitely getting a raw deal here, so would be surprised if the majority are a-ok with the implementation of a parallel currency.

The option to earn these in-game was implemented for no other reason than what it's being used as (edit - I should say this is my opinion, not necessarily fact of course) - an argument for Arx. Once FDev publishes further details on how easy/hard it will be to earn them, we will know whether this QoL change was that, or just a cynical move to make it easier getting the player base on side.

 

[sollisb]

I'm wondering can we earn them and sell them

 

[Sir.Tj]

I wouldn't call the forums riff raff. Well, unless we are talking about TJ again?

@Obsidian Ant You cheeky git!!!

That's a pint you owe me.

(The Pint is quite simply the best form of currency in existence)

 

[Will Flanagan]

I was in the PS4 Frontier store today and noticed that you can use your Frontier points to by ARX (incorrectly called ARC points).

Hello Hedgehobbit,

The 'Arc' product that was visible on the PS4 Frontier Store was a test product that should not have been live and has now been removed. To clarify, this is not indicative of any products coming, nor is it reflective of upcoming Arx prices, which we'll detail in the near future.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

(The Pint is quite simply the best form of currency in existence)

Indeed. And if I have to go to the pub to top up my balance, then so be it.

 

[Garud]

Hello Hedgehobbit,

The 'Arc' product that was visible on the PS4 Frontier Store was a test product that should not have been live and has now been removed. To clarify, this is not indicative of any products coming, nor is it reflective of upcoming Arx prices, which we'll detail in the near future.

Testing in production? Someone surely flies dangerous

 

[Arithon]

Arx? Still think "space wonga" would have been better. Although, reading TJ/Obsidians exchange "pints" would be a good currency... "You can't drink your pint and spend it!"