News Ship naming and Name Plates – how it will work

[CMDR Dreamstate]

I suppose this community was assuming in this case then it would cost waaay more than other cosmetic items on the store (currently I believe from £1 - £10)?? So this community would rather stir up a storm over these nameplates, but I suppose it's normal for this type of thing to happen as with so many things on these forums.

It largely boils down to customer expectation - we are consumers and gamers.

Not being able to see a ship name unless you bought the name-tags etc. is just a massive no-no to the majority. We're happy that on ship scan we can read another players' ship name, but we aren't happy having it sit behind a pay wall for something so little as TEXT in the HUD, and is pretty much the ONLY way we are going to actually tag our ships for minor factions (or major powers) for the background sim to say to the world "Hey, we're Border Coalition, or B.C. "Ship Name" right here.

Paint jobs - sure, fine, we know they have to make some money over subs, so we as consumers are happy with this.

More paint jobs for fighters and SRVs? Well, fine, I guess they should match my ship, and all that.

Special paint jobs like chrome? Okay, fine, here's £8, it just looks too awesome not to have it. It's fair because there are normally special offers that only come around once in a blue moon (or Christmas).

Laser paint for £1 each? That's fair, to be honest - buy one or buy all of them.

Bobble heads? Sure, if I want to decorate my interior - not a problem, maybe after my favorite paint job.

Now, personalised text on our vessels? Sure, we're happy to shell out a cup of coffee for it for those awesome screenshots we will no doubt have.

More cosmetics like suits for holo-me? Well, I sure guess this is a requirement when I've got the money.

What? I cannot see another person's ship name unless I pay for that privilege? And they can't see mine, either? This is where the line is drawn. Frontier have plenty of cash cows as it is, and this is why there is understandable (well, to the majority) criticism from what erupted.

Don't get us wrong, we're happy with cosmetics and buying stuff like paint, lasers colours, whatever - but a simple ship name identifier on scan so we can read another person's ship name? No-no-no-no-no... Greed will not be tolerated.

 

[Jack Schitt]

I suppose this community was assuming in this case then it would cost waaay more than other cosmetic items on the store (currently I believe from £1 - £10)?? So this community would rather stir up a storm over these nameplates, but I suppose it's normal for this type of thing to happen as with so many things on these forums.

The cost issue was a relatively minor part of the whole debacle, although it did add a certain level of frustration in not knowing exactly how much FD might be expecting us to pay for these mythical nameplates that were also transponders. Some individual speculation as to what would be a "fair" price for a nameplate was bandied about, but such speculation is by definition subjective and so cannot really be applied to a whole community or even a subset of it.

Of course now that we do know the price it has opened the door for a whole bunch of strawman arguments about "all this fuss over the price of a coffee", which ignore both the insignificance of the price aspect for many posters and the fact that we didn't know the price until this morning anyway.

The main thrust of the argument, which was shared by many members of the community, was that tying scanner names to purchasable hull nameplates was something of a cynical cash grab. That has now been resolved, yet some posters continue to posit that there was never the need for a resolution because "nothing changed." I still can't wrap my head around that disconnect.

• Patch notes (February 27th): no name on HUD without a nameplate, possibly free, possibly paid, price unknown.
• Live stream (March 21st): no name on HUD without a paid-for nameplate, price unknown.
• This thread (March 22nd): Nameplate not needed for HUD name; nameplate price £2.

So something changed. Even allowing for the idea that HUD names and nameplates were assumed to be unrelated prior to the 2.3 beta Patch Notes, that still means that something changed and changed back again, whether due to miscommunication or a policy U-turn. Which is still a change. Whichever way you look at it, the "nothing changed" argument is almost Trumpian in its need to ignore the facts.

 

[avow555]

Very reasonable Ed my old fruit bat!

 

[Kosmetas]

To clarify... Naming the ship is free at no cost in any way.

Payment is only for putting a name plaque on the ship to make it look pretty.

OMG, I can name all my ships for free?

This is indeed a great day for the gaming community, not just here but across the cosmos! FD underestimated the power of the... I don't know exactly, but boy did they!

LONG LIVE FREE STUFF

P.S. Where is the definition of full price game?

 

[V'larr]

You literally just have to scroll up one post to see how this all went down. And how you're wrong.

Except for the small issue of the 2.3 patch notes showing the intentional change to block the UI showing the player ship name.
Followed by Sandro answering a very specific question asking if this was how it would be, as linked in the post right above yours at the exact time index in the YouTube video, and also typed up in bright orange text!
Sure except for those facts, it's clearly false. [wacko]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgVKH0EIMPc&t=4428s
8:36
This was TWO DAYS ago. Its also in the patch notes. Literally.
Are you done now?
- - - Updated - - -
Just copy the link + timer from now on, its easier.

Clarification!? Good grief, man, I'm genuinely struggling to understand your utter failure to parse the timeline here. Bitstorm has already quoted and linked to all the pertinent bits and it's not as though it's complicated:

• Patch Notes for 2.3 beta stated that ship names would not be visible without nameplates.
• The first stirrings of a community backlash began.
• When asked, Sandro confirmed that names would not be visible without purchasing a nameplate.
• The backlash gathered pace.
• Ed "clarified" that a nameplate purchase would not be needed in order to see ship names.

How can you see that as anything other than a huge breakdown in communication at best, or a complete U-turn at worst?
Holy yodelling Christ on a flaming unicycle, are you serious? A large part of the community's frustration in all this was that, prior to Ed starting this thread, none of us had the first sniff of a clue how much the damned things would cost. Seriously, are you like one of those Deep Space Nine wormhole aliens who perceive time in a non-linear way? It's about the only explanation for the anachrony of some of your arguments.

"All regarding a singular cosmetic item that's worth less than a cup of coffee is?"

But it isn't even just about that. Apart from a small minority that have been vocal in this thread, the vast majority have zero problems with paying for the cosmetic aspect of a name plate.

The problem stems when you limit the functionality of a ship name by denying your ship to be identified by other players. Much like if your Commander name was hidden until you purchased a name badge for your flight suit...

Seriously, don't waste your time - there are a couple of people here who are deliberately trolling for a reaction. They do it on every thread I've seen them on. Just ignore and move on - I promise, it makes things so much easier!

https://xkcd.com/258/

p.s. I watched the full video stream before even looking at what's been going on here and on reddit. I thought it rather obvious Sandro meant being able to literally see ship names on player's physical ships, not through the UI, but that point seems to have flown way over everyone's heads by virtue of all the hot hair you're all emitting, lifting it out of the grasp of your reason....

It's the very epitome of pointing at a molehill and describing it to be a gigantic erupting volcano.

Stay classy, CMDRs.

 

[T1-Jafo]

Thanks for the clarification. Actually makes sense now.

 

[foxpur]

P.S. Where is the definition of full price game?

Since the invention of DLC and post-release patches the definition has become a bit blurred.
But, basically, if the overall content of the came there? Is it playable to function within the over context of what the game was intended as?
A Full Priced game is the cost of the 'Playable Game' and meets all the basic functional game.
Add-On such as cosmetics to the ship, are optional because they don't affect the game play and are not required.
When FULL VERSIONS come out they are NOT required the play the game overall, BUT will enhance the Full Version game, and are sold as DLC
Patch content in itself doesn't have enough changes to merit a DLC upgrade and are planned ideas, often from the beginning, to improve the ALREADY Full Version to make it a BETTER Full Version. Some of those changed can be enhanced by Add-On content (such as the name plates)

So, simpliticed:

Full Version (E) Full pay
DLC Version (Horizons) Full Pay
Patch content (Engineers, Guardians, Arena, multi-crew...etc) Free
Add-On (Cosmetics such as Ship paint, Bobblehead, name plates, weapon colors, books...etc) Sold through store only

Note there are the several 3rd Party Add-On as well to improve your game.

 

[playfuldreamer]

https://xkcd.com/258/
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/conspiracy_theories.png

p.s. I watched the full video stream before even looking at what's been going on here and on reddit. I thought it rather obvious Sandro meant being able to literally see ship names on player's physical ships, not through the UI, but that point seems to have flown way over everyone's heads by virtue of all the hot hair you're all emitting, lifting it out of the grasp of your reason....

It's the very epitome of pointing at a molehill and describing it to be a gigantic erupting volcano.

Stay classy, CMDRs.

Oh my gosh. I mean, I certainly expected to see you continue with this, but to actually see it? Wow.

There's just no hope for you understanding this, I guess.

Fly safe. Or something.

 

[Martian Successor]

https://xkcd.com/258/
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/conspiracy_theories.png

p.s. I watched the full video stream before even looking at what's been going on here and on reddit. I thought it rather obvious Sandro meant being able to literally see ship names on player's physical ships, not through the UI, but that point seems to have flown way over everyone's heads by virtue of all the hot hair you're all emitting, lifting it out of the grasp of your reason....

It's the very epitome of pointing at a molehill and describing it to be a gigantic erupting volcano.

Stay classy, CMDRs.

[haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [alien] [where is it] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha] [haha]

https://youtu.be/3JWTaaS7LdU?t=187

Fly safe CMDR o7

 

[Esso]

Nickle and dime me once, shame on you.
Nickle and dime me twice, shame on me.
Nickle and dime me eight times, even more shame on me.
No more, i will not be nickle and dimed for the ninth time.

Jokes aside, 3 eur seems pretty reasonable for an addon that matters. This does not.
I will not be paying any money for my ships name to show up. Jesus on skates, people, this and MANY more things are a given in any multiplayer game! How is this a legitimate micro-transaction??
What next, all new ships will be sold for real cash? HUD color options that we can pay for?

No thanks, your Horizons release was a slimy slap to anyone who already had the base game so no thanks, you dont deserve any more of my money.

P.S. I am just glad they did not expect us to submit two forms and wait for 6 months for that name to be placed on our ships. That is LITERALLY what is happening when you submit a request for a minor faction name. Six. Months.
Maybe instead of nickle and diming your userbase, you should focus on getting your together and providing us with service worth paying for. Dont be sheeple, make your voices be heard with your wallets.

 

[GG7]

I have no problem with this arrangement at all. Had a feeling that all the previous salt over this issue was premature and based on conjecture and misinformation rather than actual facts.

I watched the recent Live Stream Q&A and I managed to understand Sandy's answer to this question as a reference to the actual name plates on the HULL of the ship. How others came to a completely different conclusion and then proceeded to loose their collective %$#@ over it was disappointing to watch, but woefully typical of some in this community.

Glad you guys have put an end to the idiocy by providing the community with these facts surrounding this cool new feature for the game.

Thanks!

 

[Kosmetas]

Since the invention.... improve your game.

You sir are not the definitive source... once again I say where is it written? No where, each company can define what is a store item and what is included in their package. All we can do is buy it or not. Sorry but there is no gamer by-law or guide to game sales.

 

[Shar]

Well I think a large majority will be happy with it now as for the rest, there will always be an element that can not be pleased. 2-3 pound for unlimited name plates with unlimited name changers sounds good, I'll happily buy several.[yesnod]

Amazing how cheap some people can be. Cost me 14 dollars to park my porsche for an hour at the shoping centre today. We live in a market economy get some perspertive.

 

[Esso]

Amazing how cheap some people can be. Cost me 14 dollars to park my porsche for an hour at the shoping centre today. We live in a market economy get some perspertive.

Not cheap. Smart. I do not feel like rewarding a crappy business practice. Having a name on your ship in a space game is the norm. You dont see EVE charging for that, do you? Above all, i am not going to pay my 3 bucks to pay a dev that is so disconnected with their userbase. A dev that takes almost a year to place a minor faction name in the game, dumps all of their attention only in one aspect of the game (screw trading and exploration, its all about the dogfighting), hitches their story lines on ridiculous and exclusive easter egg hunts, -teasing us for over a year to finally give us some actual content (aliens) yet never really giving them. Everyone was expecting to be shooting at Thargoids by now. Where the are they? Give money to a company that takes away one gameplay feature to introduce another - as soon as you have any crew in your multicrew ship, you are no longer allowed to join wings. Yeah, no. Think not.

P.S. Bragging about your porcsche while calling people cheap is like Trump getting a "small" loan of a million dollars. Makes you a bit of a douchenozzle, dont you think?

 

[foxpur]

You sir are not the definitive source... once again I say where is it written? No where, each company can define what is a store item and what is included in their package. All we can do is buy it or not. Sorry but there is no gamer by-law or guide to game sales.

This is true, it is a average compilation based on game sales in the last 25 years or so. The same could be said for the term, meaning of MMO, or a 'complete space game.

Take World of Warcraft as a related example to back up my words however, been around for 13 years now, but follows the same basic sales routine. Offered Beta as a sales, released a 'Final game", sold major content change as DLC had add-on for cosmetic additions. It's all the same... This is a pretty standard pattern following a tried and true marketing plan.

So although I may not be the final say of the definition what makes a 'Final Version' I challenge you to find a more accurately appropriate marketing strategy for games that the list I put up there.

 

[foxpur]

Not cheap. Smart. I do not feel like rewarding a crappy business practice. Having a name on your ship in a space game is the norm. You dont see EVE charging for that, do you? Above all, i am not going to pay my 3 bucks to pay a dev that is so disconnected with their userbase. A dev that takes almost a year to place a minor faction name in the game, dumps all of their attention only in one aspect of the game (screw trading and exploration, its all about the dogfighting), hitches their story lines on ridiculous and exclusive easter egg hunts, -teasing us for over a year to finally give us some actual content (aliens) yet never really giving them. Everyone was expecting to be shooting at Thargoids by now. Where the are they? Give money to a company that takes away one gameplay feature to introduce another - as soon as you have any crew in your multicrew ship, you are no longer allowed to join wings. Yeah, no. Think not.

P.S. Bragging about your porcsche while calling people cheap is like Trump getting a "small" loan of a million dollars. Makes you a bit of a douchenozzle, dont you think?

I actually disagree on that... Crappy means badly created, but it follows the basic business for computing game very accurately. They SHOULD have added it much earlier, that I will certain give you, but crappy to see the game plates is a cosmetic, and they have consistently charged for that sort of thing since day one. I remind you that we get to name the ships, for free, and it comes up when you scan the ship other players, for free. What they ARE charging for is the Vanity Plate you are adding to your ship cosmetic, you buy EXACTLY the same thing when you get a custom license place for a car, and those actually cost a LOT more.

And a better, and more appropriate cost comparison than park a porsche (should have just said 'car' by the way) would be it costs me 2-3£ just to take the local bus.

 

[Winterwalker]

And a better, and more appropriate cost comparison than park a porsche (should have just said 'car' by the way) would be it costs me 2-3£ just to take the local bus.

YES. I TOO want ED to be a bus and not a Porsche .. er wait ...
I want it to be a PORSCHE but I will only pay for the bus .. it's the principle! .. er, umm



Glad to see the clarification, though was happy the other way too to be honest; a bit less uniform, imo. Next time anyone complains development not fast enough tho, want moar content, naow, maybe remember this threads' campaigner to choke developer cash support? Either way, development faster or slower, ED/FD still rocks.
ps. I went to a movie the other day (Skull Island, not bad). That 2 hours cost me about 14 bucks, even excluding parking + popcorn.

/GCU Nailbridge out.

 

[foxpur]

YES. I TOO want Elite Dangerous to be a bus and not a Porsche! .. er wait ...
I want it to be a PORSCHE but I will only pay for the bus .. on principle .. er, umm


.

Disability from Stroke means driving is NOT gonna be an option.. I suppose if I HAD the spare cash to afford a Porsche as a art piece I would spend the cash on a traveling the world to SciFi/Gaming/tech shows/conventions....

 

[Steve O B Have]

TBH in the grand scheme of things this will cost about the same as a flat white or a juice, moreover it supports the ongoing development of the game. Arguing the squat over $3-$4 AUD really seems like a waste of energy for something that is hardly a game changer. Either buy it or don't, in the end the demand will tell FD if they're charging too much. Lets be honest, FD are pretty good at responding to negative feedback when it comes to pricing schedules.

 

[Winterwalker]

Disability from Stroke means driving is NOT gonna be an option.. I suppose if I HAD the spare cash to afford a Porsche as a art piece I would spend the cash on a traveling the world to SciFi/Gaming/tech shows/conventions....

.. in your Posrche? Niiiiice (people will think you're Chris Roberts!)
MY other Porsche is a push-bike. So ladies check it out

ps. Elite Meet Bristol, next week anyone?