CQC Should CQC be free ?

[Herne]

I think CQC has great potential, but currently lacks the player base it needs that would make it great. We've all experienced the lengthy queue times trying to find a game, and the frustration that goes along with it.

If Frontier considered offering Arena for free through steam, I suspect many more people would try it, and people would be introduced to the Elite franchise that may not otherwise have tried it, increasing potential sales.

Given the lack of quality VR AAA type games out there, ED is in a fairly unique position, of being pretty much a "must have" purchase for anyone taking delivery of VR HMD's.

If CQC is free, I think it would go a long way towards building up a player base, lowering queue times, and increasing overall revenue through additional game sales.

On a selfish note, I just want to sit in my imperial fighter and have targets to kill

 

[Bobbydylan]

Agreed, tho I'm not sure that'll end up with more people playing it. I'd rather they add PVE area.

 

[Shar]

It,s already Free -----Free from players-----


Joke alert.

 

[Mr_sukebe]

OP, this was previously discussed before it was released at a "cheap, entry level price".
Personally I agree with your sentiments that it would be more effective to allow free use as it's likely to get some % of trade-ups to the full game.

 

[Sowelu]

No, please NOT. In the moment you make it free kids with hacks will come in and completely ruin it. I am dead serious.

 

[SushiCW]

There are already hundreds of high quality free games. Simply being free is no longer enough to attract players, and won't work for CQC.

If you want more players to stick around, fix the pain points like matchmaking.

 

[Herne]

There are already hundreds of high quality free games. Simply being free is no longer enough to attract players, and won't work for CQC.

If you want more players to stick around, fix the pain points like matchmaking.

OK, so how do you improve matchmaking for a game that nobody plays ? at least if it was free you'd occasionally have people seeing what arena was all about to kill

 

[Sowelu]

...
If you want more players to stick around, fix the pain points like matchmaking.
...

From my own experience I can tell that the worst thing for new players are powerups. Especially weapon one. You are outskilled, and outgunned at the same time. Getting chain-killed with an average lifespan in combat around 5 seconds is not fun. Sure, you can persist, get the hang of the game and get better. How may will, though?

On the other hand, this game requires dedication, high skills and possibly a cash investment. How many of today’s players can take the beating and hold on? You can’t play this game when you don’t have excellent spatial awareness. You need to have a PvP mindset. And having a good joystick and from what I have heard VR too, definitely helps. The requirements are quite demanding in fact. You probably can’t do much about this I am afraid.

I would definitely love to see more players too. So that pools of people with similar experience are possible.

Maybe leave powerups in team game but remove them from solo deathmatch? Or make them pickable once in a fight per commander?

 

[Darth Ender]

I have never had an interest in playing CQC. That being said, it's amazing that FD hasn't jumped on including ground based CQC with SRV's. SRV battles would be insane.

Get rid of locked ships, nascar this thing up and make all ships in each match the same. No power ups ...no locked weapons. You rank up for the bragging rights, but in the arena, all combatants are on the same level playing field.

I probably still wouldn't spend the little time i have to play elite on cqc, but for the people with more time, I'm sure that would be way more fun on a daily basis.

 

[Prince Thrakkath]

From my own experience I can tell that the worst thing for new players are powerups. Especially weapon one. You are outskilled, and outgunned at the same time. Getting chain-killed with an average lifespan in combat around 5 seconds is not fun. Sure, you can persist, get the hang of the game and get better. How may will, though?

I agree, weapon power up gives and excessive advantage over other players and IMO doesn't really add much to arena play. TTK isn't exactly high as it is and veteran player who has good timing on the weapon power up will clean out newbs in seconds. I actually like the rest of the power ups, because they add more tactics to the game(a shield boost is very useful if your being targeted by multiple opponents, stealth also allows for tactical retreat) As for VR(although I now have a Vive) I maintained a 2.0 k/d ratio without it and have already prestiged once, it is useful but IMO it doesn't give any great advantage as the radar in ED is very good.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

It,s already Free -----Free from players-----


Joke alert.

Repped... but surely the alert should come first?

 

[Shar]

Repped... but surely the alert should come first?

Yes, that would have been logical Mr Spock.

 

[Munial]

No, please NOT. In the moment you make it free kids with hacks will come in and completely ruin it. I am dead serious.

those pesky kids with their hacks, and their short trousers and their music *shakes fist

To op - sure why not? But I think the old chestnut of integrating it more closely into the main game would do more to build up the player base