The financial argument for free, universal ship names
- Thread starter ElectricZ
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I rarely strongly disagree with FDs decisions. I'm kind of a little annoyed that a basic nameplate isn't avaialble to all regardless, but cosmetics, meh.
But not having names appear on the UI if someone hasn't bought a nameplate is just going too far i think. The UI space is going to be there anyway, and its not just a cosmetic, its an identifier, one almost as strong as the CMDR name.
"Look out! Its the Dread Pirate Robert's flying his ship, the Dark Avenger!"
No way should the UI tag require a purchase to be visible. Its not just cosmetics.
But not having names appear on the UI if someone hasn't bought a nameplate is just going too far i think. The UI space is going to be there anyway, and its not just a cosmetic, its an identifier, one almost as strong as the CMDR name.
"Look out! Its the Dread Pirate Robert's flying his ship, the Dark Avenger!"
No way should the UI tag require a purchase to be visible. Its not just cosmetics.
Seeing you put it that way, I think you have a compelling argument for a free basic nameplate which Frontier should consider.
Player sees this nameplate thing in their Livery menu. They have a play with it.
- With a free nameplate, they know what a nameplate is and might be curious to see what other designs are available. Free advertising in a way.
- Without a free nameplate, they only see a blank patch of hull, and might not want to leave the game just to find out what it is.
Just to play the devil's advocate though, what percentage of those who would have purchased a nameplate, would decide not to because they are satisfied with their free one?
This just in: logical fallacy presented by nanite2000. Details at 11!
Dear god at least look up logical fallacy before you misuse it.
Not only that. They'll bend over and start another pizza drive for the devs.
Fully agree with OP. This does not sit well with me at all, is it the first time Frontier has charged for functionality rather than cosmetics. Ship name should be visible on scanners to all free of charge as it may actually have an effect on game-play. No real-money purchase from me if this goes through.
Oh, I'm sure I used it correctly.
See, nanite2000 was suggesting that my gripe is with the existence of the store itself or that we must pay for anything extra. Except that's not my argument. In this case, he presented the logical fallacy known as, say it with me, "straw man." Also known as a "red herring."
Since I can't double dip +Rep to the OP, have one on me. Fairly new CMDR (2.2 arrival just before Xmas), I bought the overcharged 6 colours PER ship for a fiver a time for my five favourite ships, two laser colours and a Coriolis bobblehead but now? well <expletive deleted> Frontier!
Bugs that never get fixed, networking that locks up for seconds when exiting warp / entering glide mode (even in solo mode), a BGS that feels like it's mostly flavour text in various systems (Oh yea, we're in civil war so no missions for you), might as well have created a random generator for system states that affect nearby systems - do the same job.
Naval / Empire ranking that is basically (like Powerplay), an unfinished mechanic, unfinished crime & punishment - they may as well do away with Anarchy and HiSec since there's so little difference between 'em (no bounty in one, easily avoided advertised checkpoints in the other).
In VR, no curved commodity screen bug reported as early as two years ago, side bar in the maps that should also be angled towards the player or virtual keypad for finding stars or improved movement system.
A locked UI colour which has been hacked but changes radar blips and NPC character portraits.
But they can program (and charge) for something as basic as ship names (check any RL ship, name plastered on its hull). Plus, have you seen the font on the video, it looks like Ariel with a line above and below it, sure it took an intern all afternoon to come up with that design!!!
Can't wait til some real competition arrives and I can jump ship - I already thought they were taking the <bodily function deleted> with the ship colours but at least the ships had default styles, maybe Fdev should sell them untextured (untapped market there guys)...
Oh, and I know 3D modeling is teh hard but really, slightly modified colours on one flight suit, for cash? you're really not making it hard for me to stop giving you money.
Nonsense. Filters and a report player button are enough. It's a cash grab that's going to fail miserably at grabbing cash. They should take the smart approach and listen to the player feedback. While there's still time.
I've posted in many threads on this already, but since I've gone full forum warrior on this topic, once more into the breach.
It was always slightly baffling to me that in a game about flying your spaceship you couldn't name the spaceship. Finally nearly three years after launch, we can name our ship, but other players can't see that name on their scans unless we've paid real money. This is mean-spirited and money-grubbing.
When it comes to censoring names so that you don't see people flying around in the HMS F---- McF---face or whatever, I'm sure the filters that they have for CMDR names and whatever reporting system and auto-renaming procedure they have for the ones who slip through will be sufficient.
It was always slightly baffling to me that in a game about flying your spaceship you couldn't name the spaceship. Finally nearly three years after launch, we can name our ship, but other players can't see that name on their scans unless we've paid real money. This is mean-spirited and money-grubbing.
When it comes to censoring names so that you don't see people flying around in the HMS F---- McF---face or whatever, I'm sure the filters that they have for CMDR names and whatever reporting system and auto-renaming procedure they have for the ones who slip through will be sufficient.
They seem to be okay with CMDR names filtered primarily through player reporting, for free.
Well they have put a barrier to me purchasing anything more in the store. Won't pay for a ship name now. If they'd have given the HUD display free, then I'd almost certainly have bought a nameplate or two. Not a chance now.
Also there's a couple a flight suits that look good, and I'd have bought them without a thought, but now I think it's unlikely I will.
I don't like this attitude to you customers.
Also there's a couple a flight suits that look good, and I'd have bought them without a thought, but now I think it's unlikely I will.
I don't like this attitude to you customers.
Hmm. And then what? Someone from FD has to take action. You know, evaluate the report, contact the Commander with the reported name and perhaps give them a chance to defend the name, or, if the name really is against the rules, change it or delete it.
And that action on FD's side requires that someone spends time and resources they have to pay for.
I am perefctly fine with having the option tu buy a fancy name plate visible on my ship, instead of just having it pop up after a scan.
The keyword being "option".
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When this makes it to live,
I'm gonna shoot and kill every CMDR ship who's transponder gives off their Ship name,
My way of punishing them for reinforcing Frontiers greedy Behavior,
I couldn't care if they charged for the name on the hull, but making it that you can't identify a ship's name on the scanners is too far
I'm gonna shoot and kill every CMDR ship who's transponder gives off their Ship name,
My way of punishing them for reinforcing Frontiers greedy Behavior,
I couldn't care if they charged for the name on the hull, but making it that you can't identify a ship's name on the scanners is too far
If you buy Horizons, you get to put a name on your ship - if you pay them to get the name on your ship.
Sort of like the dishonesty stunt they pulled with the not-really-a-Cobra MK IV. [yesnod]
Sort of like the dishonesty stunt they pulled with the not-really-a-Cobra MK IV. [yesnod]
Gating the visibility of 22 orange characters is petty.
Seeing ship IDs and names on scan of every ship would increase the apparent depth of the game.
If it was the choice between a randomly assigned ship ID and a 'vanity plate' name I would get it, but nothing at all unless paid just feels fake and gamey. It makes an external constraint protrude into the game and damages my immersion.
I'm ok with the choice that externally visible name plates are paid - I'd personally prefer that a ship ID is externally visible on every ship (if you really want to make people upgrade, FD, make it a barcode!) but externally visible ship names are paid.
Frontier have a right to monetise the game via cosmetics, but they would sell a lot more if Galnet allowed us to flaunt our vanity by showing other Commanders' ships, names and Holo-Mes like a space Facebook. Generate lists of stats such as biggest trade at this station, in this sector, biggest mining haul, exploration data sale, top ten CG participants, and show the ship and Cmdr responsible. Auto generate local news stories about someone's sweet Engineered FdL like a Daily Mail profile of a luxury home.
We'd all be falling over ourselves to improve our plumage.
Seeing ship IDs and names on scan of every ship would increase the apparent depth of the game.
If it was the choice between a randomly assigned ship ID and a 'vanity plate' name I would get it, but nothing at all unless paid just feels fake and gamey. It makes an external constraint protrude into the game and damages my immersion.
I'm ok with the choice that externally visible name plates are paid - I'd personally prefer that a ship ID is externally visible on every ship (if you really want to make people upgrade, FD, make it a barcode!) but externally visible ship names are paid.
Frontier have a right to monetise the game via cosmetics, but they would sell a lot more if Galnet allowed us to flaunt our vanity by showing other Commanders' ships, names and Holo-Mes like a space Facebook. Generate lists of stats such as biggest trade at this station, in this sector, biggest mining haul, exploration data sale, top ten CG participants, and show the ship and Cmdr responsible. Auto generate local news stories about someone's sweet Engineered FdL like a Daily Mail profile of a luxury home.
We'd all be falling over ourselves to improve our plumage.
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