Should Elite Dangerous move towards a free to play model?

Killnine

K
Simple answer: NO.

A slightly more complicated answer: a free to play or dirt-cheap entry tier "taster" might be a good idea. Especially if it can contribute to the game or community for us paying customers, too. For example, free to play multi-crew or CQC weekends would be a nice way to attract new players, and an opportunity for established players to try reel in some friends. Or a couple of euros/dollars/pounds "Pilot Federation Cadet License" that would entitle the player to multi-crew, CQC and the tutorials, with the option to deduct the price already paid when upgrading to the "full version".

(Of course, I'm not being a 100% realist here, given how flaky the multi-crew functionality currently is...)
 

Killnine

K
Iskariot said:
I also refuse to pay monthly subscriptions for any game.
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I hear you, and mostly agree.

There is, however, one thing where I think a subscription model would be good: squadrons and factions (and possibly upcoming features such as carriers). The insistence on in-game tools is seriously limiting what can or cannot be done. If a player group subscription would support making "meta game tools" for the web, complete with nice APIs (allowing for example a player group to code their own Discord or forum integration), along with fleshing out the squadron/faction game play, I would be totally for it.
 

Muzz UK

Muzz UK
Aashenfox said:
When tencent came along, I knew this was where we would end up. Prophetic words by the op I reckon. Arx is indeed the start of this.
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At the end of the day if money goes back into the development of the game it can only be good?

Would you rather in 5 years or 3 or 10 Frontier go oh well it's been a good run lets end Elite Dangerous we don't make any money now.

OR

Elite's had a good run but in order to keep going we need to create new revenue because addons and current store sales don't make enough lets go for ARX, free to play and more micro transactions?

It's only a matter of time before someone makes another space game like Elite. Look at the moba and battle royale genres! We don't have the player base like Warcraft nor do Frontier have Blizzard or EA level resources. It's a fine achievement already that this game even got through kickstarter and its nearly 5 years old.
 

Aashenfox

Aashenfox
@steve_muzz I rarely take a strong position on such things. For me, as long as the core gameplay (the dogfighting model) is not changed, they can do what they want with the payment system.

Warframe is the perfect example of a freemium game that retains balance and rewards effort more than spending real money.
 

Sir.Tj

The Moderator who shall not be Blamed....
Volunteer Moderator
Sir.Tj
IIRC a long time ago it was said by FD that ED would not go down this route.
 

Iskariot

Iskariot
Killnine said:
I hear you, and mostly agree.

There is, however, one thing where I think a subscription model would be good: squadrons and factions (and possibly upcoming features such as carriers). The insistence on in-game tools is seriously limiting what can or cannot be done. If a player group subscription would support making "meta game tools" for the web, complete with nice APIs (allowing for example a player group to code their own Discord or forum integration), along with fleshing out the squadron/faction game play, I would be totally for it.
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Don't care about squadrons and multiplayer factions/groups, nor do I care about carriers, or anything concerning multiplayer..
If FDev first separates the solo game from the multiplayer game they can charge the MMO crowd whatever they want.

It would be much better for the solo game if it was developed separately anyway. Just imagine an Elite game not hampered by multiplayer demands.
I would be willing to pay extra for that.
 

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
Iskariot said:
Don't care about squadrons and multiplayer factions/groups, nor do I care about carriers, or anything concerning multiplayer..
If FDev first separates the solo game from the multiplayer game they can charge the MMO crowd whatever they want.

It would be much better for the solo game if it was developed separately anyway. Just imagine an Elite game not hampered by multiplayer demands.
I would be willing to pay extra for that.
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I like ED being multiplayer.

But at the same time, I'd love it to be single player so I can modify it, ideally as much as Skyrim. I'd pay for that.
 

Aashenfox

Aashenfox
Sir.Tj said:
IIRC a long time ago it was said by FD that ED would not go down this route.
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Not aimed at you personally TJ, but at this oft repeated sentiment about things fd have said... I've said multiple times on multiple topics, holding fd to all their ancient promises would be very bad for the game, and picking and choosing which to hold them to would be tantamount to hypocrisy. I don't think it would be unreasonable at all for fd to come out and say, "we know we said this, but it turns out that things have changed, moved on, and now that is something we feel we need to do". Only the most stubborn of people could take issue with it. And I mean that across the board, not just in relation to payment models, game mechanics too. On every major decision they'll lose something and gain something else. Sometimes they might miscalculate (drag change), but they do what they think is in the best interests of the health of the game and the studio, even if that means breaking ancient promises. To do anything else would be... Self defeating.
 

Vardaugas

Vardaugas
While Elite may have a good amount of revenue from the cosmetics shop, it does not have the same level of popular support like, for example, Path of Exile, which can support its company completely through cosmetics and supporter pack sales. Going free to play for Elite would lead to an unfeasible financial situation for Fdev.
 

Troopi

Troopi
I'll post this as a warning to Frontier. Creating a cryptocurrency is a double edged blade. It's probably an idea injected by some CEO smartass with a degree in finances, and like all other "money-farmers", is trailing them to the neo grand scheme of Cryptocurrency market. History repeats itself, and market crashes as well. They started two great Wars, and recently brought down a lot of banks with the real estate credit exploits. Cryptocurrency is gaining ground with pyramid schemes, and it seems like video-game companies are the new target for this meta. Soon, EA, Bethesda and the like will fall down under their own "invented" money. Let's hope Frontier gets wiser and stops before entering the doomed train.
 

Drelthar

Drelthar
No, please no.

The game design is already suffering from the fact part of the money making for the game comes from micro transactions.

Micro transactions inevitably alter the way a game is designed - no matter how much the designers don't intend/want it to.

If a game makes it's money entirely from excellent expansions which add excellent new and interesting gameplay elements/content, then it becomes a better game.
If it makes (even just some) of it's money from cosmetics/etc then it will likely be slower to make such progress.

I wish the money making model for the game was based entirely on selling expansion packs, the game would become a lot better out of neccessity.
 

Navigare Necesse Est

Navigare Necesse Est
Can't say I can recall playing any F2P game that has PvP. Are there any comparable? Oh wait some Normandie game on steam I played once. It was grindy. OK, Warthunder, too. Pretty grindy, but fun ye.
But a game that was full price? Hmmmmm. OK, technically Evolve was going that route. And it had PvP. It dint help tho. What was the reason again for proposing F2P?
 

Vandaahl

Vandaahl
Genar-Hofoen said:
Have an updoot, but notice the weasel-worded answer, with the word currently. Now, I'd have felt an awful lot better if the answer was "No. We will never change Elite Dangerous over to a free-to-play model."
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Well, that wouldn't be good when Elite becomes abandon-free-whatever-ware. I guess 'not making any plans' is the most definite 'no' answer you can business wise get. I'm fine with it, for what it's worth.
 
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Iskariot

Iskariot
CMDR Cosmic Spacehead said:
I like ED being multiplayer.

But at the same time, I'd love it to be single player so I can modify it, ideally as much as Skyrim. I'd pay for that.
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Yes, but not just that. The balancing of everything in the game, weapons, ships, missions would become a completely different deal.
And as a huge bouns FDev might realize that having a good, engaging npc crew system should be considered a priority.
 
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