X4 - Microtransactions

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Ohgr
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X4 - Microtransactions

Post by Ohgr » Sat, 2. Dec 17, 10:47

Hello,

one thing I have always loved about X is, that pretty much everything is accessable in the game.

But due to the development in recent games, which brought us microtransactions and lootboxes to singleplayer games, I was wondering if X4 will have this?
Nobody seemed to have asked this question (couldn't find it in the Q+A), so here we go: Will you implement Microtransactions into the game?

It probably contradicts the modability of the game to have it in here, so I assume that won't be the case (hopefully), but I'm insecure about this topic, that I just want to have a straight answer on this.

Furthermore I'm interested in what is your (>>@ Egosoft<<) take on that? How do you think about the development in general?

Personally I have made a decision to not buy any game that features Microtransactions after a full price is being paid (I have my reasons). In other words, I don't mind playing X3 for another 10 years, if X4 would feature that.

PowerPC603
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Post by PowerPC603 » Sat, 2. Dec 17, 13:06

I don't think you'll have to worry about that.
It's usually online games that have some items which can only be bought with RL money, with no legal way to get them ingame through regular gameplay.
Single player games which you have to buy first and then buy additional items ingame with RL money is something I still have to see (but I don't buy many games lately so not sure if some games do this).

If they would do this, it will not attract many players and they can't risk this after the immense popularity-hit they took with Rebirth upon launch day, and they will lose even more players.

I don't actually mind if they implement it, as long as there is still a legit way (without cheating) to get those items through regular gameplay, even if it takes alot longer to get them.
In such a case, I see buying those items as cheating because people would rather buy them to get it immediately instead of putting in the hard work.
Doing it the hard way gives more satisfaction than just getting it thrown into your lap, even if you had to pay for it.
Most of such items are purely cosmetic anyways and usually don't give the player an advantage over others (there are games that give OP items to paying players though).

I never spend RL money on virtual items in a game (even if it's only one cent), even when the game is supposed to be totally free (you didn't pay to get the game itself).

If they really want to promote a truely-free game, then I take it literally.
Lord of the Rings online is supposedly also totally-free to play, until you hit level 5 or so.
I bought a horse with ingame-money but I soon discovered I had to buy the skill to actually ride it with RL money. So my ingame horse cannot be used without spending RL money and it's useless that way.
I uninstalled it immediately and never tried it again.
Last edited by PowerPC603 on Sat, 2. Dec 17, 15:30, edited 1 time in total.
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Alan Phipps
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Post by Alan Phipps » Sat, 2. Dec 17, 14:32

@ Ohgr: You might find some of the contributions to these previous discussions supportive:

Steam Inventory
Paid DLC
Pre-order Bonusues
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Ohgr
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Post by Ohgr » Sat, 2. Dec 17, 19:14

I'm not in for a discussion or anything. Just looking for a straight forward answer.

DLC: Stuff like the Rebirth DLCs (Story, bigger map) I'm alright with this, as long as I have a complete game, when I buy it first.

Pre-Ordering: I don't need fancy stuff, would pre-order anyways.

An Itemshop Ingame: I'm not okay with this. No matter what it is. Can't play it (addictive tendencies I'm trying to get rid of).

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Post by spankahontis » Sat, 2. Dec 17, 20:52

Seeing the chaos that EA has caused for Dice and Star Wars Battlefront II with loot crates and pay to win.
Egosoft doesn't need that kind of scandal, the scars are still healing from the last one.


Good Will is a currency.
If anything, Good Will from Egosoft has saved it much harsher scrutiny.
Best way for Egosoft to rebuild itself is through goodwill to it's fanbase.
Pre-Order, Micro-Transactions, loot crates, at the moment are causing some crazy shit out there; People don't like it, they wont have it and Egosoft doesn't want to go that route.
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CommanderTM
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Post by CommanderTM » Mon, 4. Dec 17, 11:02

I actually would not mind if egosoft made a kind of... Very light microtransactions possible in their next game. Something that is purely optional. Like, ingame currency, 50 millions for 2 dollars or something like that. Or maybe even additional empire logo pack that you can buy for few bucks. That would be totally ok.

The main issue is that games (new EA games) are built around it and make every effort to incourage you to buy instead of just play.

But, if game is like it would be without them and the microtransactions are just a small addon, something, that you can even turn off from the game settings then im totally ok with it.

Even more so if the user can mod the same functionality to their game. I imagine it would not be hard to mod extra 50 millions of starter money so the microtransactions would be only for people who want to use it and want to support the developers.

If egosoft released the free mod with extra cash alongside with these microtransactions then i assume it would remove the thought of Egosoft being greedy bastards (first idea that comes to everybody mind when hearing the word microtransaction) from everybodys minds. It could even let you know that there is a free mod for the extra ingame money when you are about to buy it but egosoft would really appreciate the support.

Hell, i am starting to like the idea... Would love to randomly support Egosoft with few bucks.

What you guys think?

WAIT!!!

Just for the love of god, dont do lootboxes...

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Post by JClosed » Mon, 4. Dec 17, 12:20

No microtransactions.... Period!

CommanderTM
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Post by CommanderTM » Mon, 4. Dec 17, 12:44

JClosed wrote:No microtransactions.... Period!
Please explain how "black and white" attitude on this subject benefits everybody?

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The Q
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Post by The Q » Mon, 4. Dec 17, 12:58

CommanderTM wrote:
JClosed wrote:No microtransactions.... Period!
Please explain how "black and white" attitude on this subject benefits everybody?
Once the system for microtransactions is implemented, once the company in question has decided on all the details of prices and managing the sales itself, game implementation of features and everything like that, once a precedent has been created, it's only a matter of time, until the purely cosmetic microtransactions will be turned into game deciding microtransactions. The only way around this is clearly denying the feature from the start.

If you really want to support Egosoft, there are many ways you can do this already:
  • Financially: By buying all their games and DLCs. Preordering new games or at least buying at release, maybe buying from the Egosoft shop directly. And convincing other people to do the same.
  • Non-Financially: By testing beta (early access) versions of their games and giving valuable feedback about it. Creating tutorials, FAQs, wiki articles, tools and mods helping other players to enjoy the game, thus creating a friendly and helpful atmosphere which will be seen positively by new and old players alike as well as possible customers and will result in more sales in the end, too.
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Athelus
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Post by Athelus » Mon, 4. Dec 17, 15:59

No microtransactions! But if a game is good i'm happy to pay for reasonable priced expansions later down the road.

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Post by nielsw » Mon, 4. Dec 17, 16:07

CommanderTM wrote:
JClosed wrote:No microtransactions.... Period!
Please explain how "black and white" attitude on this subject benefits everybody?
I can't tell you if or how it would benefit "everybody".

It will certainly benefit all those who hate to be confronted with "buy now" buttons inside of a game they purchased / paid for already.


Assassin's Creed for example, it never bothered me that you could buy DLC's in Ubisoft's launcher - even DLC's of some castle full of cool loot, that you could attack and get stuff not available otherwise.

What bugged me, was in Assassin's Creed Origins, when the store was built right into the game menu. That was a tacky move to me. But luckily, in a single player game, its not quite as critical - especially when its just a cosmetic item, or a weapon that's good, but not better than other weapons available in-game.

As mentioned in another post, Egosoft has a lot of player's goodwill, by being a very nice company, not only reliably fixing bugs in the game, but also adding new functionality, including rolling things players have made into an update.

So if they need some extra money to keep paying their team, maybe nobody would have an issue with buying a few ship paint-jobs for their ship or some such... Just inside of the game, it would suck..

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Post by JClosed » Tue, 5. Dec 17, 00:25

CommanderTM wrote:
JClosed wrote:No microtransactions.... Period!
Please explain how "black and white" attitude on this subject benefits everybody?
Simply - The slippery slope nightmare.

Once microtransactions are build into the game, you have a mechanic in place to "turn the knob higer" every update you do.

Look what happened to single player games this year. They started with "only cosmetic" rip-off's, but that has turned already into a "pay to win" garbage.

And do you know what's so funny? We had that stuff already in the games, but years ago we called it "cheatcodes", and guess what? They where free. Can you believe it? Now those cheatcodes are sold to us, but not as cheatcode, but as an "unlock" that is hidden from the user. Fun and "big money" for the game publishers. Fun for the users? Well - Only if you have a Big Wallet, and are a Whale, otherwise... Not that funny.

It always start with "only cosmetic" and ends (or starts) with things as Battlefront 2.

Now I have nothing against expansion packs. If it is a good expansion with new races and territory and things to do, I gladly pay for it. But microtransactions? I would not even buy the game.

So at the end.... No microtransactions.... Period!

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Post by Cpt.Jericho » Tue, 5. Dec 17, 00:51

Microtransactions would mean the end of modding in X-games. Advanced scripts have been mostly the work of fans so far. Adding eyecandy also. I doubt and hope that ES remembers what makes X-games great: A solid framework done by them and kilo-hours of work/time by fans that added tons of content for free.
Personally, I see no room for microtransactions in these games as long as ES allows heavy modding.
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Post by adeine » Tue, 5. Dec 17, 10:12

CommanderTM wrote: What you guys think?
If Egosoft feel like ruining their company, I honestly can't think of a better way to do this.

As others have said, community goodwill is perhaps the most important ~ingame currency~, and after the Rebirth debacle this would be the nail in the coffin. Fortunately, it seems they understand this.

Literally the only monetisation related change/addition I could see not being terrible is if Egosoft implemented a proper X4 modding platform (that is not Steam workshop) with the option to support mods financially. Which is also a very contentious issue, but if you look at the hugely involved mods we've seen for X3 could be a nice gesture if handled correctly.

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Post by Cabrelbeuk » Tue, 5. Dec 17, 11:11

That would be a suicide and I don't think Egosoft will do anyway unless if Deep Silver force them, which I highly doubt because the public is WAY too small to make it even worth the time of design and dev dedicated to this.
Not mentioning the risk of loosing definitely the community on which the game highly depends on.
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