PSA: Not sure if anyone spotted this but a dev has confirmed there will be paid content as well as the free stuff...

[Cmdr Kurnek]

PSA: Not sure if anyone spotted this but a dev has confirmed there will be paid content as well as the free stuff...

Spotted here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...izon-owners-LEP-musings?p=6020972#post6020972

Thank you again, dev tracker...

Anyway, we already knew there were bits of Beyond they weren't ready to announce (which will also be free) but now it looks like Beyond isn't all they are working on either, and more paid updates will be announced alongside it.

So, Frontier wont be surviving on the skin store alone, and more importantly, their focus is apparently going to be split between:

The free core gameplay updates they (it feels like) have offered as an apology/goodwill generator for the past 2 years of slow development and barebones features....

And this paid content that they suspiciously didn't mention would even be coming at the announcement (as far as I remember).

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but this sounds to me less like they're totally focused on fixing core gameplay, and more like they threw it out as a side project (which would explain why there isn't all that much in it for a full year) to keep us from raging while they yet again split their focus onto more barebones features like multicrew/powerplay etc.

But splitting between a barebones headline feature no-one will use as it is incomplete, and making some marginal improvements to core gameplay is what we've had for 2 years now.

So...nothing has changed, and Frontier just announced it differently?

Of course, it could instead be that, because the team has increased in size (supposedly), that both the paid and free teams have as much investment/manpower as the updates we've had this year. But I'm not going to hold my breath on that until a dev say it.

I honestly don't know whether to be disappointed or not, I want to have hope I really do. Some confirmation by Zac, Dale or Brett that the latter is true rather than the former would be very welcome by myself, and I'm fairly confident much of the community as a whole...

TD;LR - Not FD bashing, just trying to have hope.

 

[ITZC0ATL]

I think that FDev have just come to understand their player base very differently over the course of the last 3 years. Think about it, charging €20-30 for Horizons is a potential deterrent for players, but how much have Horizons players spent on in-game cosmetics? I know I've spent more in the last year on cosmetic items than I have on the base game + Horizons, partially to support FDev and partially because I wanted my ships to look nice.

If anything, they're recognising that players who enjoy the game are more grateful and more likely to spend on cosmetics. It would make no sense to introduce another paywall which might reduce their playerbase. I suspect the new paid for content will be purely cosmetic as usual, but they might throw in some unique paintjobs, outifts, etc. for the LEP owners to keep them happy.

 

[Kylisse]

Yes, overhauling the lighting and content of planets is a lowly side project they've shoveled off onto a team of interns.

I'm not sure how the internet continues to surprise me with the things it says, but good job on that front.

 

[Martian Successor]

The cynic in me feels it is a bit strange that FD didn't mention this from the get go. Instead opting to bask in their selectively altruistic gesture just long enough for the gaming press to write out their articles about Beyond being completely free to Horizons owners.

The optimist in me however feels that FD didn't mention it before only because it is just some new kind of cosmetic thing that we haven't seen before. Akin to ship kits. Something that will be nice to have for free for the LEP owners but otherwise not a form of gated content for the rest of us.

Only time will tell.

 

[Ian Skippy]

If this means I get all the stuff they talked about for free AND get the option to get even more if I pay for it, thats great news to me. I just dont get the downside: if you dont want to pay nothing changes, you still get the stuff you were told you would get. And if you do want to pay for more, you can do so. Win win if you ask me.

The cynic in me feels it is a bit strange that FD didn't mention this from the get go. Instead opting to bask in their selectively altruistic gesture just long enough for the gaming press to write out their articles about Beyond being completely free to Horizons owners.

The optimist in me however feels that FD didn't mention it before only because it is just some new kind of cosmetic thing that we haven't seen before. Akin to ship kits. Something that will be nice to have for free for the LEP owners but otherwise not a form of gated content for the rest of us.

Only time will tell.

I suspect 'beyond' is the free stuff, and they are working on other stuff (confirmed ages ago) for which the exact model/naming hasnt been decided yet.

 

[StiTch]

As always, FD display expertise in being deliberately evasive/hollow with their statements

It's not made clear whether the content, no matter how "premium", will remain aesthetic. We already have paid for content; what we don't have is paid for store content that actually affects gameplay.

 

[Martian Successor]

If this means I get all the stuff they talked about for free AND get the option to get even more if I pay for it, thats great news to me. I just dont get the downside: if you dont want to pay nothing changes, you still get the stuff you were told you would get. And if you do want to pay for more, you can do so. Win win if you ask me.



I suspect 'beyond' is the free stuff, and they are working on other stuff (confirmed ages ago) for which the exact model/naming hasnt been decided yet.

Like atmospheric planets maybe?

 

[Duedy]

FDev should not put up a paid for content that would end up being millions of different combinations of game. It opens the can for bugs. I'm sure you wouldn't want the answer from FDev to be the bug you have is incompatibility you need to buy this DLC to fix your DLC.

 

[andrak]

I think that FDev have just come to understand their player base very differently over the course of the last 3 years. Think about it, charging €20-30 for Horizons is a potential deterrent for players, but how much have Horizons players spent on in-game cosmetics? I know I've spent more in the last year on cosmetic items than I have on the base game + Horizons, partially to support FDev and partially because I wanted my ships to look nice.

If anything, they're recognising that players who enjoy the game are more grateful and more likely to spend on cosmetics. It would make no sense to introduce another paywall which might reduce their playerbase. I suspect the new paid for content will be purely cosmetic as usual, but they might throw in some unique paintjobs, outifts, etc. for the LEP owners to keep them happy.

They had better not throw in exclusive content for LEP owners. The "E" stands for "expansion" not "exclusive".

Whatever the LEP owners get for free everyone else must also have access to through paying for it.

 

[Strudders]

As far as I read into that that, it will be cosmetic items only. Any ship enhancements or any paid items that give advantage over other players should not be included. To do so. would make the game a pay to win and unfair to those who do not buy.

 

[Martian Successor]

They had better not throw in exclusive content for LEP owners. The "E" stands for "expansion" not "exclusive".

Whatever the LEP owners get for free everyone else must also have access to through paying for it.

Gameplay content-wise, yes I agree. Early access or exclusive cosmetics though I would not begrudge them that as that would be fair enough imo.

As far as I read into that that, it will be cosmetic items only. Any ship enhancements or any paid items that give advantage over other players should not be included. To do so. would make the game a pay to win and unfair to those who do not buy.

*Devils advocate hat on:*

Like Engineers?

 

[Cmdr Kurnek]

Yes, overhauling the lighting and content of planets is a lowly side project they've shoveled off onto a team of interns.

I'm not sure how the internet continues to surprise me with the things it says, but good job on that front.

I didn't say that anywhere. A side project can be nearly half the team of experienced developers, but it isn't the full team, which is why there is less content in the free part of beyond than I for one expected. Half the devs might well be working on multicrew/powerplay 2.0.

 

[Strudders]

*Devils advocate hat on:*

Like Engineers?

Anybody with Horizons can engineer though.

Nice hat btw

 

[Cosmos]

Spotted here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...izon-owners-LEP-musings?p=6020972#post6020972

Thank you again, dev tracker...

Anyway, we already knew there were bits of Beyond they weren't ready to announce (which will also be free) but now it looks like Beyond isn't all they are working on either, and more paid updates will be announced alongside it.

So, Frontier wont be surviving on the skin store alone, and more importantly, their focus is apparently going to be split between:

The free core gameplay updates they (it feels like) have offered as an apology/goodwill generator for the past 2 years of slow development and barebones features....

And this paid content that they suspiciously didn't mention would even be coming at the announcement (as far as I remember).

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but this sounds to me less like they're totally focused on fixing core gameplay, and more like they threw it out as a side project (which would explain why there isn't all that much in it for a full year) to keep us from raging while they yet again split their focus onto more barebones features like multicrew/powerplay etc.

But splitting between a barebones headline feature no-one will use as it is incomplete, and making some marginal improvements to core gameplay is what we've had for 2 years now.

So...nothing has changed, and Frontier just announced it differently?

Of course, it could instead be that, because the team has increased in size (supposedly), that both the paid and free teams have as much investment/manpower as the updates we've had this year. But I'm not going to hold my breath on that until a dev say it.

I honestly don't know whether to be disappointed or not, I want to have hope I really do. Some confirmation by Zac, Dale or Brett that the latter is true rather than the former would be very welcome by myself, and I'm fairly confident much of the community as a whole...

TD;LR - Not FD bashing, just trying to have hope.

Well this is rather confusing.. Why all the cloak and dagger I wonder? Sounds fishy and makes little sense. Doesn't exactly inspire trust or confidence. Whats the point in showing a roadmap that isn't complete? FD up to their usual duplicity once again?

 

[Ian Skippy]

Like atmospheric planets maybe?

Everything points towards them working on that for some time. The fact they are so tight-lipped about it suggests, IMHO, they have still quite a bit of work to do don't know themselves when exactly it'll be done. I'd be very surprised if we'd hear nothing about atmo landings in the second half of 2018, although I obviously have no clue what the paid content for 2018 itself will turn out to be.

 

[Martian Successor]

Anybody with Horizons can engineer though.

Nice hat btw

True but those without Horizons cannot. It could technically be categorised as pay 2 win or at least pay 2 have gameplay advantages.

I'd not want to see them lock some new engineers behind a pay wall and call it "premium content" for example.

Tis a devilishly good hat

 

[Ian Skippy]

Well this is rather confusing.. Why all the cloak and dagger I wonder? Sounds fishy and makes little sense. Doesn't exactly inspire trust or confidence. Whats the point in showing a roadmap that isn't complete? FD up to their usual duplicity once again?

Or you could try common sense instead of paranoia: they tell you what they can deliver for sure, and stay silent on what they dont yet know themselves. But 'cloak and dagger' 'fishy' and 'duplicity' is cool too, if it makes you happy.

 

[babelfisch]

Zac, could you please clarify weather we are idiots or not? I suppose the former but I can't trust an idiot.

 

[avow555]

Not really fussed about paid for items, I am however concerned with what looks like a thread bare dev year regards to content.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Anybody with Horizons can engineer though.

Nice hat btw

Ha, thanks, nothing more hardcore gangsta than a cookie-monster hat.

Zac, could you please clarify weather we are idiots or not? I suppose the former but I can't trust an idiot.

Maybe I am missing the obvious, but why are we idiots? We already knew that they had different teams on different stuff, its pretty much a given that a corporation will charge at some point for some stuff. The only news is that this stuff may come sooner than expected...