The financial argument for free, universal ship names

[SheepDip82]

There's a huge difference between a feature available for everyone, and a feature only available for those willing to pay a price. Especially when it's a long-desired, simple feature. Monetising it is just plain wrong.

Regardless of how small it seems - for me, this is the thing that's taken FDev's rather frustrating approach to cosmetic content from being tolerable, to being intolerable. Having ship names throughout the entire population is a good thing - how anyone can feel that this approach is acceptable is beyond me.

 

[JeffRyan]

Last time I checked the game wasn't free.

Not sure what you mean, I know the game isn't free and I support the shop and paid-cosmetics, I even support the nameplates idea, though I wouldn't be against a basic nameplate (unlike the paintjob), but if they're all paid for, no big problem. Locking the ship's registered name on a scan behind a paywall is just a step too far and it's clear a lot of people think the same. This is going to cause a riot when 2.3 goes live if not before.

 

[Lord Tareq]

I truly hope Frontier reverse course on this, it's a PR-disaster in the making.

Yup, instantly reminds me of this (spot on) worthabuy review from 2015:
[video=youtube;3hPCNOTgyUo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hPCNOTgyUo[/video]

 

[kpmop]

Inhowfar is your target being identified as "Anaconda" instead of "Bananaconda" impact the functionality of the game?

In so far as the code is checking to see whether or not the other player has paid for something before displaying it on your HUD/contact screen. So no not much in the grand scheme of things, but a big chunk of the point of ship names is so others can see them and now we have to pay for the privilege.

 

[Lanceor]

This is going to cause a riot when 2.3 goes live if not before.

I think this thread and the ones before it can already be classified as riots.

 

[JeffRyan]

I think this thread and the ones before it can already be classified as riots.

Yeah, right now it's contained and hasn't made it out of our community though. I'm not sure there's still time to contain it, but damn I'd be trying.

 

[Nazgutek]

I was always of the opinion that the flat colour schemes were horrifically overpriced, and that the patterned packs also too expensive. The only reason I purchased the Cobra Nest Pack, Asp Explorer Horus pack, Python Tactical and Clipper Tactical was because of a 40% discount which brought them into 'just about justifiable' purchase territory.

I'm willing to bet Frontier would sell more if:

1) Vibrant Paint schemes are free for all ships
2) Tactical and Military packs are £1 each per ship
3) Patterned packs are £2 each
4) Individual Patterned paint jobs are 50p (for those available in packs) to £1 each (for 'special' skins)

Bobbleheads, Decals, Weapon Colours are fine, they can be used on all ships.

Ship kits, whilst I'd consider them expensive, require significant modelling work compared to a paint job, so I understand there is a price attached. But adjusting H/S/L on a texture? You're taking the mickey.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Smart move by FD. Penny pinch a basic feature in a paid for expansion delivered six months late in a bare bones manner tgat doesnt even work for many. Way to go marketing, didnt even know it was possible to mess this up with the competition being so distant.

Ah well, that makes Frontierstore the same as Steam for me: worth checking during sales perhaps.

 

[Nerwan]

I can only speak for myself. I'd have bought a name plate, I've bought just about everything else. But even I have a line.

This is exactly how I feel. I've paid for lots of paint jobs and a few body kits but I'm not paying for this..

 

[Heater]

Just another nail in the coffin

 

[Nerwan]

Smart move by FD. Penny pinch a basic feature in a paid for expansion delivered six months late in a bare bones manner tgat doesnt even work for many. Way to go marketing, didnt even know it was possible to mess this up with the competition being so distant.

Goodness sleutelbos, you're usually a fierce FD defender (as am I as a general rule), what's happening? ;-)

 

[Jack Schitt]

Given that ship name visibility is now confirmed as wholly optional, I guess that also kills off any hope of the ship reputation and second-user ship market features that were provisionally discussed in the DDF.

 

[Nazgutek]

In so far as the code is checking to see whether or not the other player has paid for something before displaying it on your HUD/contact screen. So no not much in the grand scheme of things, but a big chunk of the point of ship names is so others can see them and now we have to pay for the privilege.

Personally, the biggest point of ship names is so I can quickly see at a glance how the ship is fitted.

If others can see the name, "Mining Fit B" is an awful name to be seen in, and "liillilliiilllilllillililll" is an awful name when managing hulls.

 

[danteuk]

Cosmetic name plates - I'm fine with paying for those
Plain - no frills name plate - for free would be a nice gesture from FDev, but I'm not holding my breath.
No ship names on the scanner or hud unless the person has paid for a Cosmetic name plate - This is a stupid idea !! it makes no sense apart from to try force people to pay money to name their ship - and actually requires more in game code to handle that check.

I'm surprised by this and I really hope FDev reconsider. This decision will win FDev no new fans and p-off a large number of existing fans.

I was planning to buy a name plate for my primary ships - but now I'm just going to boycotting the entire ship naming process. it's become pointless.

Sadly shipnaming was one of the only features in the 2.3 list of new features that actually appealed to me - I'm not a content creator so the holo-me and vanity-cam are nice but I'll be not bothering with hollow-me the in live game. Mullti-pew is a cheap gimmick designed for quick meaningless combat ( more like CQC than anything in the world and lore of Elite ). The new locations are nice I spent an hour visiting a few megaships and asteroid bases in the beta - so been there, done that. Even chained missions doesn't seem like anything to get excited about.

If the new Alien encounters turn out to be just more scripted non-interactive events then you can experience everything new 2.3 in a couple of hours of play - or by just watching a bunch of youtube videos - then it's back to as you were and wait for 2.4.

This release is sadly lacking in QoL changes - the one big one was ships names - and they've screwed that up!

 

[JeffRyan]

Goodness sleutelbos, you're usually a fierce FD defender (as am I as a general rule), what's happening? ;-)

They've screwed up. And must be told so.

 

[wstephenson]

Yeah, right now it's contained and hasn't made it out of our community though. I'm not sure there's still time to contain it, but damn I'd be trying.

Too right. The press loves an Elite biowaste-storm story (unfortunately) and we'd just got the game reviews on Steam out of Mixed for a while.

They've screwed up. And must be told so.

I hope hope hope that FD will see so many old hands and general white nights out here soiling our cuirasses over this and take heed.

PS I liked your old avatar better, Jeff!

 

[Winterwalker]

I'm not sure how people are reaching this really odd disconnect, in maybe not noticing, that having your ship name appear on scan is probably THE most 'valuable' vanity aspect (I name my ship 'this', now I'm broadcasting it to you). A ship name on the hull in my opinion is cooler if it's a plain and simple, hardworking Cmdr's stencil, and the ones with added cliparts and so forth are less in keeping for me.

This though means that a free one would have to have the 'sponsor's logo' attached (pay to remove it) and the argument then is 'money grabbing frontier spoilered our free name plates!' and you're in the same sticky situation. If there were to be a free plate then that should NOT imho be broadcast (technically difficult to do though I think) because (1) I don't care what your ship name is (2) I might like to name my ship but NOT broadcast it and (3) uniformity across all ships is not necessarily desirable (asymmetry, in all things, brings interest).

Finally, you can name your ship, in your hud. Any kind of plate on the ship is a vanity item, end of story. And some ship paintjobs are given in competition awards, even CG's etc, I don't see nameplates being any different there. Why should naming your ship (so the galaxy can see it) be an absolute right .. other than the fact that people don't 'want' to pay for it.

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

I already have a name for my ship - I don't give a fuel rats limpet if another CMDR cannot see it and I'm certainly not going to part with a penny for the utter drivel of an effort that was shown at PAX - No design has gone into that at all. It looks like some clip art form the 80's with an ugly font slapped on with it. All nice, flat and not really something anyone would see.

On any given day it seems Frontier have the ability to be both amazing and also quite stupid too, bit like human beings when you think about it.


<--- Oh, its started already has it... Seems some one wants to play today... https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...the-best-way-to-slap-a-CMDR-with-a-wet-kipper

 

[MuldWarp]

Very good analysis. This is simply a bad decision for all involved for all the reasons you mention. Also, ship names serves a purpose beyond cosmetics, ie. letting you identify another player's specific ships as opposed to just their name and ship type.

By all means, let people pay extra for fancy looking nameplates, but blocking out the feature itself behind a paywall is a turn in wrong direction.

 

[Komemiute]

I'm not sure how people are reaching this really odd disconnect, in maybe not noticing, that having your ship name appear on scan is probably THE most 'valuable' vanity aspect (I name my ship 'this', now I'm broadcasting it to you). A ship name on the hull in my opinion is cooler if it's a plain and simple, hardworking Cmdr's stencil, and the ones with added cliparts and so forth are less in keeping for me.

This though means that a free one would have to have the 'sponsor's logo' attached (pay to remove it) and the argument then is 'money grabbing frontier spoilered our free name plates!' and you're in the same sticky situation. If there were to be a free plate then that should NOT imho be broadcast (technically difficult to do though I think) because (1) I don't care what your ship name is (2) I might like to name my ship but NOT broadcast it and (3) uniformity across all ships is not necessarily desirable (asymmetry, in all things, brings interest).

Finally, you can name your ship, in your hud. Any kind of plate on the ship is a vanity item, end of story. And some ship paintjobs are given in competition awards, even CG's etc, I don't see nameplates being any different there. Why should naming your ship (so the galaxy can see it) be an absolute right .. other than the fact that people don't 'want' to pay for it.

A very good couple of points. + Rep.