"We are listening to the community"...

[babelfisch]

True. But you could have introduced ARX as an in-game only currency that can't be bought, only earned.

Then continue to allow players to purchase cosmetics with real-world money from the store, as it is now.


Truth is, any form of stored valued cash card (which is basically what ARX is), will almost always end up in a deficit for the card holder.

We take the food court/hall example, where you can't use cash to buy from a vendor at said food hall, but only thru stored value cards.
Then the top up amounts are set at fixed intervals..... $10, $20, $50.
Even if you wanted to buy a meal at $8, you'd have to use $10, and end up with $2 left in the card which can basically buy NOTHING.

So you're left with a choice. To lose that $2, or to top up another $10 and buy something else to use up all the value.

So lose the cash, or get more and try to use up. The truth is, you will always have value some left lying around.



So the only way for FDEV to avoid this money-sucking scenario would be to sell ARX at a fixed exchange rate to the GBP/USD, or even by the cent.
And price the items in game at a value appropriate such that a person doesn't have wasted ARX for a particular item that he wants to purchase.

Don't you think it would be fair to mention that Arx can be earned in game?
Let's say you want a meal that costs 12€, buy a card that costs 10€ and get a discount of 2€ for having fun. In that case you actually saved money (although I've never been a fan of using the term 'saving money' when you are actually spending it).

 

[GJ51]

Like when your wife comes home from shopping and tells you how much she saved...

 

[dxm55]

Don't you think it would be fair to mention that Arx can be earned in game?
Let's say you want a meal that costs 12€, buy a card that costs 10€ and get a discount of 2€ for having fun. In that case you actually saved money (although I've never been a fan of using the term 'saving money' when you are actually spending it).

That's a diff thing.
Just because you can earn it in-game, and I expect that you will earn very little since it constitutes their income; it is still a stored value card where the buyer may not be able to use up his one time purchase.

But the main point is this....

if this had been done from the very beginning, there would be no arguments to how this can be implemented. But if ARX displaces the current cash for mods purchase, then it's definitely a downgrade for us all.

 

[CAPT. Ho Chi Minge]

Like when your wife comes home from shopping and tells you how much she saved...

Conveniently pointing out that it was 30% off while all you can think is yes but that still leaves 70% on.

 

[gooddoc]

I think It's funny. They listen. Har har. Can't wait for commanders to demand retroactive Arx for the 4000 hours they've played.



Cheese?

Yeah!

What about my 9200+ hrs gametime played i've accrued?......................

..........no really, I don't give a s...

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

I think It's funny. They listen. Har har. Can't wait for commanders to demand retroactive Arx for the 4000 hours they've played.

I was gonna ask about this actually No really what about my 2000+ hours?

Being human i can only do one crisis at once. Can you start a thread on our behalf? Thanks.

 

[B1rdy]

I think the OP is missing the point.

Enough players may have said they want in game cosmetics... Frontier "IS" a business after all. ARX doesn't cost real money so I'm no really sure what the problem is?

Literally will moan about anything this player base.

ITS NOT COSTING YOU MONEY TO EARN IN GAME COSMETICS

That direction is free Paintjobs, free updates, free content and a huge team of people working on the next big expansion. It's pretty irrelevant if your wallet is closed or not since you don't need to buy anything anyway (which is perfectly fine).

Considering the rewards that ED provides and had provided in the past. Do you really believe, you will earn a considerate amount of ARX by just playing? Or is it more likely that earning (enough of) them will be a grind we have not encountered so far in ED?

 

[MickyG1982]

Considering the rewards that ED provides and had provided in the past. Do you really believe, you will earn a considerate amount of ARX by just playing? Or is it more likely that earning (enough of) them will be a grind we have not encountered so far in ED?

Given that they are still a business, and people earning ARX will essentially be cutting into their profits of course they aren't just going to give it away. Why on earth would anyone believe that?

That said, it would be likely that older or more basic paintjobs are going to be well within reach of even the "casual" gamer. Higher end paint jobs will most likely require a lot of "grinding" to earn enough to get it for free but since we all seem to be doing that anyway (if these forums are to be believed) it'll simply be business as usual...

Or, if you want instant gratification, simply spend your beer chits just as it is now.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

Given that they are still a business, and people earning ARX will essentially be cutting into their profits of course they aren't just going to give it away. Why on earth would anyone believe that?

I take it that isn't the core issue.
ARX isn't going to be any form of charity, will not be designed to say "thank you for playing, things will be a tad cheaper for you", will not be designed to save you any money.

Looking at FDev's "Apple(tm) pricing model" (some extras cost more than the entire Base Game on discount), it's most likely going to be this scenario :

• Player has earned 115 Digital Tokens in-game over the course of a month. They're called "ARX".
• Player takes interest in a single Paintjob
• Player sees "this Paintjob costs 600 ARX" in the Store
• Player needs to purchase (Money) 485 ARX to complete the purchase
• Player discovers that 485 ARX can't be purchased. Only 1000, 2500, 5000 and 10000.

Business Model :

• intentionally make earning cosmetics from the Store by Gameplay possible - but entirely unfeasible by any practical means
• intentionally mis-price and desync ARX Purchase Packages from Store item prices, so any purchase will always result in an "overbuy" with plenty of leftover

-> force Players to purchase more than they need/want
-> have leftover amount present incentive for the next purchase (like a coupon)
-> remove pricing transparency by adding the abstraction layer of ARX

Quite similar to "you can purchase 1-4 Kamitra Cigars without State : Boom and it'l take you 15+ Minutes of waiting to get your full allocation - or purchase upto 24 at a time in State : Boom with upto 15+ Minutes of waiting". The Engineer Unlock, however, requires 25. Intentional asymmetry, and guess what - it's not done in your favor.

It's true what the leak said a few months ago... Not alot of updates but expect them to try to keep the money-train going. Keep milking the cow while keeping to do the carrot-on-a-stick minigame.

Not surprising that this isn't well-received by many.

Usual Disclaimer :
It isn't implemented yet but I'd be surprised if it wasn't following above described patterns of corporate greed. Would like to be surprised - but I sure don't expect it.

 

[babelfisch]

Considering the rewards that ED provides and had provided in the past. Do you really believe, you will earn a considerate amount of ARX by just playing? Or is it more likely that earning (enough of) them will be a grind we have not encountered so far in ED?

If playing the game is a grind you are playing the wrong game. Or you really like grinding.

 

[cheesenbiscuits]

Stop it with the free stuff already FD!

 

[Rat Catcher]

So let me get this straight....

FDev are introducing a 'new' currency to buy the cosmetics that one may or may not buy depending on one's attitude to cosmetics. As yet they have not informed us how this currency may be purchased, but it is implied to be along the same principle as those on consoles are currently enjoying.

At the same time we have been told that, actually, we will have no need to purchase this 'currency' with real money as we may earn it, in-game, just by playing... and this is causing complaints?

FDev "Here, have this, it's free - you've earned it!"
Player "I'm not spending my money on that!"

The console players have had no option previously to not spend an odd amount to purchase that which PC players could just buy from the store, at least in the future we all will have to option to play and collect 'currency', for free, is that so bad? (Yes, I hear the arguments of how much for playing?)

Something for nothing but 'just playing' is surely better than 'always costs'?

 

[MickyG1982]

So let me get this straight....

FDev are introducing a 'new' currency to buy the cosmetics that one may or may not buy depending on one's attitude to cosmetics. As yet they have not informed us how this currency may be purchased, but it is implied to be along the same principle as those on consoles are currently enjoying.

At the same time we have been told that, actually, we will have no need to purchase this 'currency' with real money as we may earn it, in-game, just by playing... and this is causing complaints?

FDev "Here, have this, it's free - you've earned it!"
Player "I'm not spending my money on that!"

The console players have had no option previously to not spend an odd amount to purchase that which PC players could just buy from the store, at least in the future we all will have to option to play and collect 'currency', for free, is that so bad? (Yes, I hear the arguments of how much for playing?)

Something for nothing but 'just playing' is surely better than 'always costs'?

Pretty much business as usual for this forum really.

Whine and whine and whine that FD aren't communicating, then whine and whine and whine about it when they do...

One side calls the other white knights because they actually appreciate what's been given, (and don't agree with their position) then more whining until finally something else come along to whine about.

The next thing that will come out, judging by the responses here, once the Arx is released will be another rehash about not earning enough. I predict that will happen (across multiple threads cos nobody wants to simply add their same grievance to one thread) within 24hours of the update.

In fact, I reckon within 30mins, when someone does a mission and finds that they can't afford a paint job after completing it.

 

[Sir.Tj]

I would like to point out at this point that none of this is my fault.

& let's play nice please?

 

[Rat Catcher]

I would like to point out at this point that none of this is my fault.

& let's play nice please?

I always play nice....

... apart from the time I don't

And of course it's your fault!

 

[Old Duck]

I wonder who of you guys screamed "ARX" when it comes to the question "What feature would you like to see next"?

Actually I have seen MANY requests over the years for the ability to earn cosmetics by playing the game. This is what "ARX" is, essentially.

 

[Alien]

So let me get this straight....

FDev are introducing a 'new' currency to buy the cosmetics that one may or may not buy depending on one's attitude to cosmetics. As yet they have not informed us how this currency may be purchased, but it is implied to be along the same principle as those on consoles are currently enjoying.

At the same time we have been told that, actually, we will have no need to purchase this 'currency' with real money as we may earn it, in-game, just by playing... and this is causing complaints?

FDev "Here, have this, it's free - you've earned it!"
Player "I'm not spending my money on that!"

The console players have had no option previously to not spend an odd amount to purchase that which PC players could just buy from the store, at least in the future we all will have to option to play and collect 'currency', for free, is that so bad? (Yes, I hear the arguments of how much for playing?)

Something for nothing but 'just playing' is surely better than 'always costs'?

Just because that's how console players have been forced to do business to buy cosmetic items, does not make it morally the right thing to do. Stop being brainwashed. Frontier are not being generous to the players. They are not thanking the players. Frontier are only interested in one thing - maximising profits.

Pretty much business as usual for this forum really.

Whine and whine and whine that FD aren't communicating, then whine and whine and whine about it when they do...

One side calls the other white knights because they actually appreciate what's been given, (and don't agree with their position) then more whining until finally something else come along to whine about.

The next thing that will come out, judging by the responses here, once the Arx is released will be another rehash about not earning enough. I predict that will happen (across multiple threads cos nobody wants to simply add their same grievance to one thread) within 24hours of the update.

In fact, I reckon within 30mins, when someone does a mission and finds that they can't afford a paint job after completing it.

I don't think (note: that means this an opinion) that you have any idea why people are upset over this and any previous thing Frontier have tried to do, got wrong and then abandoned.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Just because that's how console players have been forced to do business to buy cosmetic items, does not make it morally the right thing to do. Stop being brainwashed. Frontier are not being generous to the players. They are not thanking the players. Frontier are only interested in one thing - maximising profits.

I don't think (note: that means this an opinion) that you have any idea why people are upset over this and any previous thing Frontier have tried to do, got wrong and then abandoned.

You are quite right... I have no idea why some people are upset!

It is a game, if it doesn't deliver whatever one expects from a game, one abandons it. Isn't this the way of all games software?

Incidentally, something for nothing, as the 'currency' can be, is still free - where is the profit in this? Profits are only maximised if people are deliberately spending money rather than not.

A bit like someone offering to buy the drinks and then one insisting the drink cost too much...

 

[B1rdy]

So let me get this straight....

FDev are introducing a 'new' currency to buy the cosmetics that one may or may not buy depending on one's attitude to cosmetics. As yet they have not informed us how this currency may be purchased, but it is implied to be along the same principle as those on consoles are currently enjoying.

At the same time we have been told that, actually, we will have no need to purchase this 'currency' with real money as we may earn it, in-game, just by playing... and this is causing complaints?

FDev "Here, have this, it's free - you've earned it!"
Player "I'm not spending my money on that!"

The console players have had no option previously to not spend an odd amount to purchase that which PC players could just buy from the store, at least in the future we all will have to option to play and collect 'currency', for free, is that so bad? (Yes, I hear the arguments of how much for playing?)

Something for nothing but 'just playing' is surely better than 'always costs'?

It is not that simple. We don't know how long you have to "just play". Given the circumstance and the history of FDev, it is probably long, very long, probably frustratingly long, so you are more inclined to spend actual money.
The cash system on the consoles is skewed in favour of FDev. Because you can't buy an exact amount of ARX that you item of choice costs, you have to spend more money in the end.

 

[Rat Catcher]

It is not that simple. We don't know how long you have to "just play". Given the circumstance and the history of FDev, it is probably long, very long, probably frustratingly long, so you are more inclined to spend actual money.
The cash system on the consoles is skewed in favour of FDev. Because, you have to spend more money in the end.

The console player has historically been tied to bundled 'currency' (remembering my own PS4 experience!) that doesn't seem to ever 'match' requirement exactly...
But the simple point, that a cosmetic can be free just by playing - regardless for how long - is actually free appears to be both missed and loathed by comments made.

With respect, as the ARX are yet to be made available, how can you assert that "you can't buy an exact amount of ARX that you item of choice costs" prior to the release date?

Cosmetics are just that, I buy those I want, but am not forced to do so, in the future I may even get some free, where is the loss there? Cosmetics are just that, and having them is the decision of the player, so why the dismay that getting something for nothing may take some time? They are vanity items, nothing more