Passenger Missions and Gameplay features in 1.7 + 2.2

[oliver.dearlove]

Good Day,

I have a quick question regarding the recent update for Elite Dangerous. Firstly I own Horizons, and on the whole am very happy with the recent updates, haven't tried the SLF yet, but certainly some of the QOL and the passenger missions have added a bit more to the game.

However, I do feel I have a bitter taste in my mouth regarding the passenger part of the Guardians update. Surely this should of been classed a new game play feature, i.e not QOL, therefore should really have been exclusive to Horizons customers only. I understand adding new stations types and interiors, ship dock yards, module and ship transfer, galaxy map updates etc. should be made available to all, and these don't add new game play elements. But as someone who paid the base game price again to get horizons I do feel a little let down by this.

It would seem FD have used the SLF as the main meaning behind the Guardians title, however It would seem to me they showcased the Passengers feature just as much the SLF feature at Gamescom, leading me to believe it was Horizons only.

What does everyone else think?

 

[c00ky1970]

I think its a balancing act between revisions for what is Horizons exclusive and what is vanilla.

Ideally every vanilla elite game, should be updated to Horizons, with the associated kerching in the bank for Frontier.

But not everyone wants to pay for DLC, some will never, so the non horizins version still exists.

Now it may be that the way passengers is implemented is that it is 'harder' to exclude from the base game as it uses common base game elements, hence its in vanilla.

It may also be that the split vanilla vs Horizons player base is quite close, so maybe to ensure ongoing player purchases some of the cool features are included in vanilla.

Maybe when Horizins has completed (2.3 and 2.4 to come!) then with 3.0 all players will have to upgrade to Horizons to continue playing, but in Frontier timing 2.3 is SOON (tm), 2.4 is coming SOON(tm) and 3.0 is a long way off.

 

[smiths121]

Season pass owner and 1 x horizon owner here. I think you make a good case for protecting new features for those that pay for the season upgrade. I think this will come up again and again, FD need to make sure those that continue to invest in the game get their bang for buck. Hopefully what I am about to say will not make the bitter taste in your mouth worst!

On this one though, I think passenger missions for 1.x players is correct. The Federal Dropship and Orca were passenger ships released in 1.x, they are effectively incomplete without the passenger missions so I wouls argue the missions are due to Orca and Dropship owners with 1.x.

Simon

 

[Ydiss]

Nah, it's something that should have been in the game since the Orca was released. So 1.7 should have it.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Passengers for everyone is fine I think. I thought it will be exclusive, but having it for everyone makes it universal and integrated part of ED game. There's lot of things yet to come exclusively for Horizons owners - more fleshed out planet side stuff included.

 

[oliver.dearlove]

Given that the two ships that seem passenger orientated were in 1.x I understand your point, and certainly agree that passengers should have probably been in the base game. I guess i just felt a little ripped off thinking it was being introduced as a Horizons feature. Maybe FD need to be clearer on the info they give players about updates and features in the future. Don't market the passengers update as a new ground breaking feature coming to 2.2 (Gamescom) if it isn't, I suppose.