We're actually paying to have no colour (white) lasers and engines?

[Cmdr Wullfen]

Thanks TC I just now realised I can go full classic on Elite Dangerous and rock both white weapons and white hud colours, sweet

Can we get wire frame paint jobs for all ships in the store also please so I can finish the look and go full 84 on this bad boy? Thanks

 

[BURL KNIVE5]

I do find it really bizarre people defend micro transactions in full priced games.

I've always found it odd that gamers expect to pay the same price as games in the late 80's/early 90's despite tech advances and bigger budgets, yet manage to be outraged that a dev has the audacity to supplement profits with completely optional and inexpensive in game purchases.

Granted, p2w, and paywalls are a thing, but not here.

 

[Drelthar]

I've always found it odd that gamers expect to pay the same price as games in the late 80's/early 90's despite tech advances and bigger budgets, yet manage to be outraged that a dev has the audacity to supplement profits with completely optional and inexpensive in game purchases.

Granted, p2w, and paywalls are a thing, but not here.

Even when it is only cosmetics, it creates a have's and have not's situation, it's a psychological assault on people who already paid for the game. It also has negative effects on the game's design, even if indirect and "minor"

I mean, it's just my opinion, I feel like supporting it will just make the gaming industry get worse and worse, and saying "It doesn't affect me" means you lost.

Evidently you disagree, no biggie, just wish more people didn't.

 

[Sans Daring]

Even when it is only cosmetics, it creates a have's and have not's situation, it's a psychological assault on people who already paid for the game. It also has negative effects on the game's design, even if indirect and "minor"

That's because many who play the game sit in the old paradagim of gaming where games were complete, or sold complete with additional patches. This is a game that requires ongoing support as its an ongoing project in ongoing development. Micro-transactions to help support that process and momentum that is actually optional

I mean, it's just my opinion, I feel like supporting it will just make the gaming industry get worse and worse, and saying "It doesn't affect me" means you lost.

Evidently you disagree, no biggie, just wish more people didn't.

It's not getting worse, it's changing, and that requires different tactics. The model for Elite appears fair and considered; it creates some interesting customs for those with a few coins (rather than donate signs everywhere), that do not affect the balance in-game. I caveat this with work in the games industry and seeing the battles to keep everyone well paid and projects progressing.

As for the colour white, there's a mis-equating of an understanding of time spent on an item and an item's value to the consumer. By no means do the two have to equate. If I could magic a car into existence, as an industry, it would still carry an expected value. How it's built doesn't necessarily equate into what it's worth. It's why television celebs or sports people can ask so much money; their skill maybe no different to another actor, who would put in the same time and energy, but their market value determines the price. White, green, blue, they all carry market value, and its fairly cheap, after all. It's just a bit of fun tagged to a donation to keep the project going (and also to keep people engaged).

I'm tempted by the raider kit for Python, I've got one colour laser. No bothered with the trails. Each to their own, but there's more critical arguments on this sort of model than I'm seeing represented here.

 

[Spacecat]

Only if you're actually willing to do so...

 

[BURL KNIVE5]

Even when it is only cosmetics, it creates a have's and have not's situation, it's a psychological assault on people who already paid for the game. It also has negative effects on the game's design, even if indirect and "minor"

I mean, it's just my opinion, I feel like supporting it will just make the gaming industry get worse and worse, and saying "It doesn't affect me" means you lost.

Evidently you disagree, no biggie, just wish more people didn't.

Which do you prefer: higher priced video games or completely voluntary and extraneous in-game purchases? I ask because gamers have spoken and their message is they want video game prices to hover around that $60 mark. You can't have your cake and eat it too. It's unfair to expect a game like Elite: Dangerous to cost the same as Donkey Kong Country on the SNES back in 1994.
As for a have/have-not situation...
Remember that musical number in Les Miserables about the bourgeoisie and their fancy colored lazors? (I kid)
But in all seriousness, there will always be people that have things you want. At least it's nothing you NEED.
Also: psychological assault? A $3 microtransaction? That's some serious melodrama.

 

[Whitehair]

How is having an option to buy a white laser colour a psychological assault?

Is offering the game for sale, a psychological assault on people who haven't got a computer?

Damn. I need to get a good lawyer. There's millions to be made sueing any company that makes anything!

 

[Crank Larson]

We're actually paying to have no colour (white) lasers and engines?

"We" aren't, no. I paid for purple. Tell me, what is the difference between paying for purple and paying for white? Are there racist overtones here?

 

[SaliVader]

Which do you prefer: higher priced video games or completely voluntary and extraneous in-game purchases? I ask because gamers have spoken and their message is they want video game prices to hover around that $60 mark. You can't have your cake and eat it too. It's unfair to expect a game like Elite: Dangerous to cost the same as Donkey Kong Country on the SNES back in 1994.
As for a have/have-not situation...
Remember that musical number in Les Miserables about the bourgeoisie and their fancy colored lazors? (I kid)
But in all seriousness, there will always be people that have things you want. At least it's nothing you NEED.
Also: psychological assault? A $3 microtransaction? That's some serious melodrama.

Games nowadays cost ~60€ on launch, but they also have DLC to gain more money. Elite already has Horizons (and more planned down the road). Thus, to a lot of people, the way FDev added microtransactions to the game (putting 99.9% of the cosmetics in the store, whose total cost is over 1000€) is just plain out wrong and anti-consumer. It's not a hard concept to grasp.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

But in all seriousness, there will always be people that have things you want. At least it's nothing you NEED.
Also: psychological assault? A $3 microtransaction? That's some serious melodrama.

Yes, after about twenty or so of them.

Games nowadays cost ~60€ on launch, but they also have DLC to gain more money. Elite already has Horizons (and more planned down the road). Thus, to a lot of people, the way FDev added microtransactions to the game (putting 99.9% of the cosmetics in the store, whose total cost is over 1000€) is just plain out wrong and anti-consumer. It's not a hard concept to grasp.

I've spent about $100 USD in the store. That's almost full price for two titles.

See the South Park clip on "freemium"

 

[NeilF]

Which do you prefer: higher priced video games or completely voluntary and extraneous in-game purchases?

But it's not quite as black and white as that?

A third path might be less time dedicated to particularly petty eye candy (I personally would describe laser and thruster colours as that at least), and instead invested into better in game content and gameplay, thus generating more interest, more sales, more revenue etc?

Again, I have no quibbles with people spending their money on what ever they want. Just voicing my view on the direction we're going.

 

[BURL KNIVE5]

Most DLC, imo, is an appropriately priced extension to a base game that already provided me with $60 worth of amusement. Fair is fair.
If any DLC (or microtransactions for that matter) seem like a rip-off, I don't buy them. If my involvement in a game is dependent on me paying money for things I think aren't wort it, I find another game to play. That's my right/responsibility. If you know what you're getting ahead of time and you don't think it's worth it, but you buy it anyway, then who are you really mad at? A couple of people seem to be under the impression that you have to buy everything in the store. I mean, you can, but you can also buy nothing. None of it is required. It's simply a way for hardworking people to make a competitive wage using a 27+ year old pricing model the consumer insists on. And it's completely optional. You are under no obligation to buy into it.

 

[Andovar]

But it's not quite as black and white as that?

A third path might be less time dedicated to particularly petty eye candy (I personally would describe laser and thruster colours as that at least), and instead invested into better in game content and gameplay, thus generating more interest, more sales, more revenue etc?

Again, I have no quibbles with people spending their money on what ever they want. Just voicing my view on the direction we're going.

But doesn't that time invested in better game content have to be funded?
As has been previously mentioned, this isn't a static standalone game that you buy once and play through. It's ongoing development. The base price of the game isn't going to cover all future development. So you have to either fund through micro-DLC's, or a subscription fee, or these cosmetics. Personally I prefer the cosmetics route, as they're entirely optional.

 

[BURL KNIVE5]

But it's not quite as black and white as that?

A third path might be less time dedicated to particularly petty eye candy (I personally would describe laser and thruster colours as that at least), and instead invested into better in game content and gameplay, thus generating more interest, more sales, more revenue etc?

Again, I have no quibbles with people spending their money on what ever they want. Just voicing my view on the direction we're going.

Better in-game content and gameplay? Are we so sure that's the same department as the folks that color lasers and design ship kits? Probably not, but we don't know, and it doesn't matter anyway. I look at the product being offered (and not what it could potentially offer) and then ask if it's worth the price. If I think it's worth it and pay, it would be bad form to get upset at the lack of content later--nothing has changed since I purchased, so why the change in attitude? If they offer me more content after that, then it's the same drill: look at what's being offered and is it worth the price?
I don't have colored lazors. I think they're silly. See?

Predatory microtransactions used to be much more common. We're now reaching a point where a lot of devs understand that this is what we do not want and they're implementing them in a way that is much more consumer friendly. I think we should be encouraging this.

 

[Crank Larson]

But doesn't that time invested in better game content have to be funded?

Of course not, everyone works for free in this day and age.

Better in-game content and gameplay? Are we so sure that's the same department as the folks that color lasers and design ship kits?

Unless there is something very wrong with FD, it is absolutely certain that the people creating the lasers and paint-jobs aren't the same people that actually program the game... But it seems that many people aren't capable of grasping the concept that different people do different jobs, and that not providing paintjobs or coloured lasers would not mean that the game had progressed any further forward. It would just mean fewer people employed, and a less pretty game.

 

[yodajedifishmaster]

Tanning lasers next. Invisible ultra-violet, but with a hint of purple glow.

omg you gave me an idea - blacklight lasers!

 

[Andovar]

omg you gave me an idea - blacklight lasers!

ok, if they add that, then they better add a blacklight Black Sabbath poster for my cockpit.

 

[kenworth]

All I can say is I'm not flying behind anyone with brown engine exhaust!