What is your view on microtransactions for credits?

Sir_Robin · Mar 1, 2015

Can't believe I'm saying this as in all other MP games I'd have been a vehement no. But as the pvp is not core and as when it does happen it works at all levels (eg a well piloted sidewinder should escape an Anoconda).

Then I'd like it in this case.

Reason being the more money that comes in the better this amazing Milky Way foundation can be fleshed out with gameplay (which seems to be what the vast majority of posts want).

My 2 pence (=500 credits) worth anyhow

SR

Salvatory · Mar 1, 2015

Have the cash for credits in 'Solo/Offline' mode only - then it's fine. Oops.

Odan Brota · Mar 1, 2015

Cash for credits didn't kill MWO... never developing new maps or game modes or addressing pug stomps did.

There's no real reason to not allow people to purchase ships or modules for money, except for the boogeyman called pay to win that players like to screech whenever the idea is brought up.

Instead of credits for cash, why not offer a subscription model? $15 a month nets you a 20% discount on everything in the game, and reduces your insurance cost by 50%.

Kiblams · Mar 1, 2015

Odan Brota said:
Cash for credits didn't kill MWO... never developing new maps or game modes or addressing pug stomps did.

There's no real reason to not allow people to purchase ships or modules for money, except for the boogeyman called pay to win that players like to screech whenever the idea is brought up.

Instead of credits for cash, why not offer a subscription model? $15 a month nets you a 20% discount on everything in the game, and reduces your insurance cost by 50%.

I totally agree! You can't win Elite, so why are people so afraid of players who are willing to pay FD, paying for the ship of their choice rather than grinding?

Does other players grinding in solo somehow make everyone's gaming experience better?

Flavourless · Mar 1, 2015

Probably the most important NO! in the game.

LeeLeeBoomBoom · Mar 1, 2015

Just no. If people can just buy credits I would have to question why they bother playing in the first place. Earning credits is pretty much the big incentive for doing a lot of things in the game.

Sir_Robin · Mar 1, 2015

Odan Brota said:
Cash for credits didn't kill MWO... never developing new maps or game modes or addressing pug stomps did.

There's no real reason to not allow people to purchase ships or modules for money, except for the boogeyman called pay to win that players like to screech whenever the idea is brought up.

Instead of credits for cash, why not offer a subscription model? $15 a month nets you a 20% discount on everything in the game, and reduces your insurance cost by 50%.

This idea is a good one. Gets more money in - but is still optional and not just buy what you want.

Kiblams · Mar 1, 2015

LeeLeeBoomBoom said:
Just no. If people can just buy credits I would have to question why they bother playing in the first place. Earning credits is pretty much the big incentive for doing a lot of things in the game.

Ok scenario time!

I buy elite and I really want to have an Asp so I can jump straight into my chosen gameplay which is exploring. I pay FD for credits/my Asp so I can do that, I get my Asp, do some exploring, FD get money my to develop the game and keep the servers going.

Please tell me how you are disadvantaged personally by this.

WeirdCulture · Mar 1, 2015

why does this thread pops out every few weeks? NO

Mr Duffo · Mar 1, 2015

no, only fluff stuff like ship paints or goldfish

Zylark · Mar 1, 2015

I'd say no.

Though I would like to see more 'pimp my ride' options in the shop. Skins are nice, but I'd also like a lot of extra little trinkets for the ships to be on sale. The bubble-head is an obvious example. Furry dice, a magic 8-Ball. Neon-blue long-hair carpets. Extra bumper or roof rack with long range headlights. LED-tubes vanity lighting. Various bumper-stickers.

Just about anything to customize our ships in all regards except actual performance.

Xodz · Mar 1, 2015

Kiblams said:
Ok scenario time!

I buy elite and I really want to have an Asp so I can jump straight into my chosen gameplay which is exploring. I pay FD for credits/my Asp so I can do that, I get my Asp, do some exploring, FD get money my to develop the game and keep the servers going.

Please tell me how you are disadvantaged personally by this.

The scenario that usually happens:

Group of wealthy griefers are able to continually grief other players because they don't have to worry about grinding or spending time to get credits to pay for repairs and stuff. They can just keep spending to grief other players until eventually the other players feel like they have to spend to fight off the griefers or radically change their gameplay (playing in solo instead of open for example).

What also happens, from the development standpoint, is the game is designed in a way to slowly encourage players to spend, rather than playing the game and having a good time doing so.

Pay2Win doesn't require a "The End" or "Winner!" to qualify it as Pay2Win. Pay2Win is cheating that is allowed in exchange for money. Nobody seems to like cheaters.

Of course, call me silly, I think this game should be a little tougher, it should be more combat focused. Currently it's not dangerous and you don't have to be elite to survive. It's a little boring and tedious, just a grind. It needs a higher scalability of risks vs rewards. Otherwise a rename may be considered, "Patient: Trader".

Zplintz · Mar 1, 2015

I will not spend RL cash to buy in-game credits, ships or equipment (but would pay for vanity items).

Couldn't care less if others do though (as long as anything they can buy with RL cash, I can buy with in-game credits).

Pay2Win is only a valid argument if by paying you have an advantage.

A player who plays only 5 hours a week is likely to be at a disadvantage compared to a player who plays 50 hours a week. I don't see it as being any more or less fair for a casual player to boost their equipment with cash to try and compete with hardcore players.

ED is very much a game where skill and tactics gives a big advantage over poor skills and decent equipment.

ted · Mar 1, 2015

Kiblams said:
Ok scenario time!

I buy elite and I really want to have an Asp so I can jump straight into my chosen gameplay which is exploring. I pay FD for credits/my Asp so I can do that, I get my Asp, do some exploring, FD get money my to develop the game and keep the servers going.

Please tell me how you are disadvantaged personally by this.

you wouldn't be disadvantaged personally. other players could be if a member ( or group ) used that buying power to effect the outcome of a storyline/battle happening in the game, or just make life hard for another player. players tend to do brash things and engage in poor behaviour when the consequence is lessened. my own experience in online gaming has proven this just creates bad elements in a game.
FD needs a cash flow to keep the game running, but this will ruin it. I myself would be just happy to lay more cash out to FD for major content implementations such as planetary landings or major graphical overhauls, and things that improve the entire sandbox.

iAmLegion · Mar 1, 2015

Xodz said:
The scenario that usually happens:

Group of wealthy griefers are able to continually grief other players because they don't have to worry about grinding or spending time to get credits to pay for repairs and stuff. They can just keep spending to grief other players until eventually the other players feel like they have to spend to fight off the griefers or radically change their gameplay (playing in solo instead of open for example).

What also happens, from the development standpoint, is the game is designed in a way to slowly encourage players to spend, rather than playing the game and having a good time doing so.

Pay2Win doesn't require a "The End" or "Winner!" to qualify it as Pay2Win. Pay2Win is cheating that is allowed in exchange for money. Nobody seems to like cheaters.

Of course, call me silly, I think this game should be a little tougher, it should be more combat focused. Currently it's not dangerous and you don't have to be elite to survive. It's a little boring and tedious, just a grind. It needs a higher scalability of risks vs rewards. Otherwise a rename may be considered, "Patient: Trader".

Pay2win is when you can buy a perk that makes you better than anyone else, for example be able to buy better weapons that most people don't have etc. Buying credits is not Pay2win, as anyone can get the same credits but it just takes longer.

iAmLegion · Mar 1, 2015

LeeLeeBoomBoom said:
Just no. If people can just buy credits I would have to question why they bother playing in the first place. Earning credits is pretty much the big incentive for doing a lot of things in the game.

Several reasons, they might not like to grind for the cash, or they simply don't have the time to spend on the game that many others might have. So buying credits to be able to buy a better ship and outfit it would make them enjoy the game more than spending hours upon hours on grinding and then perhaps get bored and stop playing instead.

Also there seems to be a lot of missconceptions on what microtransactions are and what Pay2Win is in this thread.

A few more pay 2 win examples.
Pay x to get 10% more damage.
Pay x to get faster turn rate.
Pay x to have better shields etc...

Pay x to buy credits is not a pay 2 win method. It's simply a way to get credits faster and credits anyone can get but if you don't like to spend cash to get them faster then you have to grind.

Zplintz · Mar 1, 2015

iAmLegion said:
Pay2win is when you can buy a perk that makes you better than anyone else, for example be able to buy better weapons that most people don't have etc. Buying credits is not Pay2win, as anyone can get the same credits but it just takes longer.

/agreed

While I can still understand how one player might not like the idea that another player beat them because they had bought a better ship or equipment it still isn't the same as paying for that ship or equipment and that ship or equipment isn't available without paying (which would IMO be financial blackmail on the game developers side).

Oculus · Mar 1, 2015

Not sure about pay to win. There should be ship rental in game tho, so you can hire a anaconda for 24 hours for in game credits and make money that way. This would give casual gamers a taste of what big ships are like. You could also take a percentage of profits back as well to make sure balance between hiring and buying is not abused.
Just an idea.

Jorlin · Mar 1, 2015

Although i don't like the concept of credits for cash, there is one thing that makes it less dramatic:

People buying credits want bigger ships, fast. No fun in playing to work up...just wanting the huge stuff.
Then they will realize that those shiny new toys don't increase the fun of playing.
They will leave and have left some money to make it a better game for the people that really want to play it.

But still... against it.

Kaeldian · Mar 1, 2015

The last time this thread came up, I posted this. I do feel the need to repeat it as I think people aren't really thinking through their knee-jerk "heck no" reactions. No, I do not buy the stuff myself. Only time I ever bought money was back when EQ stripped all your gear on a server change.

There is a very real demand for game currency. So much so that 3rd parties supply it (as well as power leveling services). As much as game developers try to fight it, it has always existed to the point it at times becomes very expensive to combat. Because at first it starts with banning caught accounts and removing spambots. Then it escalates to investigating hacked accounts.

To me, it's the lessor of two evils for the game company to offer it themselves. Instead of spending so much money fighting it, they get additional revenue coming in to fix up and add content to the game. And with them more or less being able to "set the price", they can drive the 3rd parties out making them have less of an impact on their customer service complaint department.

For this reason, I think it's better to just "not fight it".

"But Kaeldian, that takes away all the fun for them"

Not necessarely. Not everybody gets the same satisfaction from building up to a point. Some just have fun when they "have that desired level" and just derp around at that level. Much like a guy might buy a max level character to raid or PvP with.

Not everybody is wired the same as you.