Pay2Win made it to Elite

[Rat Catcher]

I fully admit that I've let myself get sucked into the hype train around Odyssey and shelled out for early access. A rather costly lesson to never, ever do that again in my life.

Odd, isn't it?
I paid for the same early access, chuckled my way through the few weeks we were able to play it, cussed when it released in a very poor performing mess, but have remained chuckling to date.

But, and it may make the difference obvious, I watched the lead-up videos and trailers and was looking forward to 'elite feet' as it would be a good compliment to my gameplay. So I was biased by my own preference.

I pre-ordered another game recently, it fulfilled its promise, then delivered a few bits more, free, that improved it as a game. (again, it wasn't a surprise I liked it, I knew what I was buying into beforehand, just like EDO)

 

[vanFace]

Odd, isn't it?

No, nothing odd here. It's nice to hear that it worked for you. For me it was very disappointing, but I learned from it, so all is good.

 

[Jack Winter]

Yes, but, Anaconda can fly Bubble->Colonia in less than 2 hours. And this transported person is immediately ready to play in Colonia without further delays and pay outs. For example, summon ships and unlock engineers there. So if you have friend with Anaconda or have own Anaconda you could start in Bubble and unlock all engineers in 1 day in Colonia without big expenses and preparations.
Classic ways would require transport ships / buy ships which is tens / hundreds of millions of the credits in any way + days of time "wasted".
Also rich people can use this trick to avoid "farming" engineers in the Bubble at all.

Personally I did the 5000ly unlock engineers by building a long range phantom, taking the neutron star highway to colonia and unlocking the engineers out there.

It really didn't take very long as I brought most of what was needed from the bubble. The neutron star highway is also quite fun and fast.

 

[Rat Catcher]

The neutron star highway is also quite fun and fast.

Provided one remembers to also install an AFMU before leaving...
... no, don't ask!

 

[Jack Winter]

I do find it interesting to think about how the following alternative might have been received, released as a standard DLC:
"2024 Ships Season Pass - £40. Four new ships coming between now and December, starting with the Python Mk 2. In addition gives access to some pre-built existing ships to help beginners and alt accounts get started. Pre-order and get a free Python 2 ship kit and paint!"

The content, price and P2W aspects would all be pretty similar; the prior acceptance of Horizons-exclusive ships mean that it would probably have been far less controversial packaged up this way; the "free with Odyssey in 3 months" aspect gets replaced by patient players able to pick the whole thing up in a sale for £10 in 6-12 months time.

I've thought about the ship DLC aspect and came to the conclusion that the new ships will most likely be needed for the PP2 update. So I think it might have been hard to do a ship DLC and leave many players without the new ships when PP2 comes on line. No doubt there would have been a lot of grumbling over a 40.- ship DLC too..

 

[deMangler]

I'm very fortunate, I started playing after so many 'promises' were made, so don't feel betrayed by anything...
(and, possibly, even had I been playing from day 1, I wouldn't be complaining that "XXX" hasn't appeared, has changed, or isn't what I expected - but admit to having entirely the wrong attitude toward playing games)

I backed the kick-starter at a high level and was a keen participant in the DDF discussions with FDEV. Since very soon after the game was released I have been managing my reaction to the fact that the game delivered was very different to the game that was discussed back then. Even learned to enjoy playing it.
On the other hand, I really like the game 'Starbase", but I was lucky enough to arrive on that scene after the community had gone through a badly managed launch of the game and subsequent development hell, from which it is only now recovering.
My point is (eventually) on their forums I find myself getting swamped in "this game is dead", "don't trust this dev, they are backstabbing liars", "you will learn ignorant noob, etc, etc..." every time I post something good about the game. Understandably there are wounded backers, but I just can't help be this irritating white knight because I really think the game is great.
On the Frontier forums I have to stop myself being that guy bringing everything down with my venting, and trying to educate the positive posters....
Usually I manage to refrain....

 

[Rat Catcher]

I backed the kick-starter at a high level and was a keen participant in the DDF discussions with FDEV. Since very soon after the game was released I have been managing my reaction to the fact that the game delivered was very different to the game that was discussed back then.

I've read the history of the DDF, from some posts here, and heard more of the kickstarter from a couple of friends. What we have is not what was discussed.

Usually I manage to refrain....

You did fine!

 

[Darkfyre99]

Odd, isn't it?
I paid for the same early access, chuckled my way through the few weeks we were able to play it, cussed when it released in a very poor performing mess, but have remained chuckling to date.

But, and it may make the difference obvious, I watched the lead-up videos and trailers and was looking forward to 'elite feet' as it would be a good compliment to my gameplay. So I was biased by my own preference.

I pre-ordered another game recently, it fulfilled its promise, then delivered a few bits more, free, that improved it as a game. (again, it wasn't a surprise I liked it, I knew what I was buying into beforehand, just like EDO)

I lucked out, having a computer very similar to David Braben’s at the time, so I spent a lot of time post-release wondering what the many of the complaints were about. I believe at one point, I said something like, “My computer from 2013 can handle Odyssey just fine by turning the graphics down a notch, you’d think a modern build wouldn’t have so many problems.”

Then I learned that little nugget of information, and everything makes sense. Any QA department worth their salt would have a copy of their CEOs personal computer for testing purposes. Naturally it would follow that that particular combination of hardware would be better optimized than most.

 

[Rat Catcher]

. I believe at one point, I said something like, “My computer from 2013 can handle Odyssey just fine by turning the graphics down a notch, you’d think a modern build wouldn’t have so many problems.”

That is ringing a bell in my memory...
It was, interesting... in those early EDO days, although the patches / updates came fast enough to see some good progress. It isn't in a hole any longer!

 

[House0fDerp]

Questions for those that have bought the prebuild: Can you engineer the prebuilt modules and does that add any rebuy costs to the ship?

 

[Mrc_NorthEast]

Questions for those that have bought the prebuild: Can you engineer the prebuilt modules and does that add any rebuy costs to the ship?

I have not bought the pre builts. However based on the YT vids and Twitch streams I watched, yes you can engineer the modules, and yes that will affect the rebuy costs.

Note you cannot ever store the pre built modules. So if you engineer something on a prebuilt and change your mind or want to try something else, you would have to sell the engineered module(s) first.

 

[galahad2069]

Questions for those that have bought the prebuild: Can you engineer the prebuilt modules and does that add any rebuy costs to the ship?

You can engineer them (and it won't add anything to the rebuy cost), but you cannot store these modules, you can only sell them for 0 credits if you want to put something else into that slot.

For example, the Stellar version of the Py2 has a 6C biweave shield gen. That module adds 0 credits to your rebuy cost, even if you engineer it, but if you want to use a 6A prismo instead, you'll have to sell the 6C biweave first (which destroys its engineering), and the prismo you equip will not be free at the rebuy screen ofc.

 

[Alaska Sædelære]

That the prebuilt's modules can't be stored is actually a major bummer, I didn't see that at first. Are we sure this is intended and going to stay, or can we expect it to get fixed? I was positive about the whole thing but this is taking me aback now.

 

[Weps]

can we expect it to get fixed?

So you’re asking for even more advantages? In a thread complaining about P2W? Isn’t it enough that you get a 0-rebuy module, now it must be a 0-rebuy module that can be used on other ships too? Talk about having the cake and eating it too.

 

[Alaska Sædelære]

So you’re asking for even more advantages? In a thread complaining about P2W? Isn’t it enough that you get a 0-rebuy module, now it must be a 0-rebuy module that can be used on other ships too? Talk about having the cake and eating it too.

Jumping to conclusions, are we. I want to be able to keep the modules I bought for real money as well as the ability to fit flexible loadouts on the ship I bought for real money. That I would consider fair value. If this has implications which are not intended, then decisions can be made about it. I just want to know if the current state is 100% as planned by the developer. What this thread complains about I have otherwise already commented.

 

[Rat Catcher]

I just want to know if the current state is 100% as planned by the developer.

It appears to be so, currently.

I agree, it would have made some sense to enable storing a module from a pre-built ship, with that module being identified in-game as exclusive to that ship. Then we might engineer a module, decide to experiment with another loadout, stash it for later, have a play with "Plan B" without the loss of engineering materials.
As any differing loadout would be with modules bought for credits (currently - as some believe this will change) the rebuy is the cost of the added module(s) - which would be stored normally as they are purchased.

 

[alexzk]

It appears to be so, currently.

I agree, it would have made some sense to enable storing a module from a pre-built ship, with that module being identified in-game as exclusive to that ship. Then we might engineer a module, decide to experiment with another loadout, stash it for later, have a play with "Plan B" without the loss of engineering materials.
As any differing loadout would be with modules bought for credits (currently - as some believe this will change) the rebuy is the cost of the added module(s) - which would be stored normally as they are purchased.

I think that will break logic. If you store the module then you can get another one, and another one for free. This is pure benefit, comparing to commanders who pays credits to do this.
And limiting module to the ship + counting it is something they can't do easy technically now.

 

[robbyp]

"And limiting module to the ship + counting it is something they can't do easy technically now."

Evidence?

 

[Cmdr Esteban]

I want to be able to keep the modules I bought for real money as well as the ability to fit flexible loadouts on the ship I bought for real money. That I would consider fair value. If this has implications which are not intended, then decisions can be made about it. I just want to know if the current state is 100% as planned by the developer.

Official FDEV:

You can't strip the modules off the pre-built ships and store them. They can only be used on the pre-built ship, and if you remove them to replace them with different modules, you have to 'sell' them for 0 credits.

 

[Rat Catcher]

And limiting module to the ship + counting it is something they can't do easy technically now.

Try putting stored Reactive Surface Composite bulkheads from a Corvette onto anything but a Corvette, then tell me what happens...