Python Mk II & Updates To The Gamestore

[Andromalius]

Just quoting what's on their website:

"Greetings Commanders,

3310 is a busy year for Elite Dangerous, with three Titans down already, Powerplay 2.0 in the works, four new ship variants on their way AND the other new feature we have not shared with you yet.

This year will also see us celebrate our 10-year anniversary - the love and support you have shown us over the years has been nothing short of incredible, and we want to share with you some other changes coming this year.
Gameplay Additions and Changes

We are excited to share more on Powerplay 2.0 over the coming months as we get closer to Update 19. We are confident the rework of this feature will not only allow players to pledge, engage with, and support their chosen power, but also visually see the impact their efforts have on the galactic landscape.

In addition, we will also be making some balancing changes to Engineering. Our focus will be on making Engineering more accessible and predictable, allowing you to focus on your ship build rather than the materials needed. As stated in the past, we also have another brand-new feature coming to Elite Dangerous later this year.
Gamestore and Pricing

Over the past few years, many of you have identified that the store has become hard to navigate and that it is difficult to find the content that you really want, with this in mind we will be refreshing the store to provide a better experience for our players.

Starting in May 2024, you will notice a change in how we approach the gamestore – which will also include ARX pricing adjustments for some of our cosmetic items, alongside new product types which are detailed below. Players will continue to be able to earn ARX in-game by playing Elite Dangerous daily, or by contributing to events in game.
Ship Variants

We are excited to bring ship variants into Elite throughout the year and are looking forward to seeing how you make use of each one. Starting with the Python Mk II, we are pleased to announce that this will be available in game for Odyssey players on 7 August for credits at Shipyards across the galaxy.

However, if you cannot wait until then you can get 3-month early access to this ship on 7 May from the store for 16250 ARX.

Non-Odyssey owners will be able access ship variants from the store for ARX.
Pre-built Ships

We’re also going to be introducing a new category in the Elite Dangerous gamestore: Pre-built Ships. Pre-Built Ship packages will offer Commanders the opportunity to purchase ships that have been given a significant upgrade from their base models.

We envision these Pre-built Ships to be a quicker way for newer players to get involved in the areas they have the most interest in, or for our existing players who are considering a new career path in game, but do not have time to devote to a new build from scratch.

A ‘Pre-built’ ship package will include instant-access to a pre-fitted ship, a ship kit, and a paintjob – and will typically be themed to match an activity within the game. For example, if you’re looking to jump into the current AX conflict against the Titans, the AX Combat Jumpstart package will give instant access to an Alliance Chieftain with all the necessary modules to go straight into the action within the maelstrom.

The Python Mk II will also launch with a Pre-built Ship package, allowing you to kickstart your career in the latest ship, including a brand-new paintjob and ship kit.
Cosmetic Items

A ‘Best Sellers’ section will be added to the gamestore, including some of our most popular items, allowing Commanders to purchase items such as Midnight Black, Stygian and Chromed all year round. We will continue to add to the store throughout the year with that same focus on items that players care about the most.

We’re excited to roll out Powerplay 2.0 and the Python Mk II, and we’ll have more to show regarding Engineering and the brand-new feature coming later this year in future Frontier Unlocked livestreams.



o7

Arf"

[♥ Beepy ♥]

What bothers me the most, is that I have a feeling that FDev spent the last 2-3 years completely re-inventing the wheel when it comes to engineering. Instead of taking 1-2 hours and just upping the mats-dropped quantity by 2-3x more.

And fixing the bloody sites so they actually appear as they used to.

[COEUS]

Originally posted by ♥ Beepy ♥:

What bothers me the most, is that I have a feeling that FDev spent the last 2-3 years completely re-inventing the wheel when it comes to engineering. Instead of taking 1-2 hours and just upping the mats-dropped quantity by 2-3x more.

And fixing the bloody sites so they actually appear as they used to.

based

[whatdoesthisbuttondo?]

I'd argue that being accessible never was the issue with engineering, being boring and grindy as hell was the problem.

And it being a requirement for PvP, essentially making some of the best content in the game inaccessible for those who have to work now and then.

I'm certainly not going to pay for 'pre-built' ships to make basic game content accessible, fix it properly or just don't bother.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by Andromalius:

However, if you cannot wait until then you can get 3-month early access to this ship on 7 May from the store for 16250 ARX.

So, "pay2win", eh?..

[♥ Beepy ♥]

Originally posted by Dolphin Bottlenose:

Originally posted by Andromalius:

However, if you cannot wait until then you can get 3-month early access to this ship on 7 May from the store for 16250 ARX.

So, "pay2win", eh?..

I wouldn't call it that. It's more-than-likely going to be a bare-bones build w/o engineering that is just enough to get your foot in the door. And they still aren't "winning" against a skilled CMDR with a G5'd ship.

The fact they're offering the ability to buy ships is worrying for another reason... are they hurting that bad for money?

[Aeon]

Originally posted by ♥ Beepy ♥:

Originally posted by Dolphin Bottlenose:

So, "pay2win", eh?..

I wouldn't call it that. It's more-than-likely going to be a bare-bones build w/o engineering that is just enough to get your foot in the door. And they still aren't "winning" against a skilled CMDR with a G5'd ship.

The fact they're offering the ability to buy ships is worrying for another reason... are they hurting that bad for money?

Of course they are. Just look at the steam charts. This game is massively overhated imo, and even the big content creators have mostly abandoned the game. Every action frontier has taken this year is showing they are desperately trying to revive the game. Significant gameplay changes, powerplay 2.0, new ships, new supercruise mode, new PR team, huge sale recently (I got the deluxe edition for only $10) etc.

If you couldnt tell that they were hurting and trying to attract more people in/create more streams of revenue you've been living under a rock.

I dont think its pay to win either, I was able to make 150 million in 2 hours doing stratum scanning in a sidewinder. Its very easy to obtain starting ships for whatever part of the game ur interested in. I unfortunately was not prepared in time to fight Titan Oya since I have essentially done 0 AX gameplay before, so I definitely would of bought an AX starter pack simply so I didnt miss out on it. Even after buying all the components sold on the rescue ships I couldnt even make it through the cloud in either my anaconda or a krait mk2. I was disappointed to miss out.

Frontier need to make money on this game in order to continue developing it. I honestly love Odyssey and think this game is great. I hope their efforts pay off.

[W0lff_]

Originally posted by Dolphin Bottlenose:

Originally posted by Andromalius:

However, if you cannot wait until then you can get 3-month early access to this ship on 7 May from the store for 16250 ARX.

So, "pay2win", eh?..

More like Pay 2 Skip
I mean, geez, here you find people asking how to dock Lmao A brand new player can't win anything, even if given a fully engineered PVE/PVP Anaconda at day one.
This is just ain't that kind of game... yet...

[Andromalius]

'Pay 2 win' isn't a great term because people will get lost in the semantics of what that means and how to define "winning". This is an indefensible departure from Frontier's previous stance of being able to pay real money for feasible in game benefits.

What has me so worried is they're coming out of the gate selling pre-built ships, early access to the first new ship in almost 6 years, and some of the more rare cosmetics usually reserved for holiday sales, all at the same time.

To me, it seems like they're hurting financially as a company and/or decisions like this are being made entirely by financial people instead of people who have the game's best interests at heart. If they don't walk this back, I feel like this is a very steep, slippery slope they've launched themselves off very suddenly. Elite is going to pay the price for Frontier's business mistakes.

So in other words, doom and gloom, Elite has fallen, trillions must be probed by Thargoids.

[jimbalayajones]

I suppose it makes sense...I have seen nothing but complaints about the 'long road' from many new players so FDev is simply making the road shorter and bringing in ARX bucks as well...Would not surprise me if they offered engineering materials for ARX (that would probably be the best buck maker they could offer)...I mean, they are in this for the money...It is a business and profit is the objective...I just hope it does not become like an over modded game...Hilariously easy and endlessly boring...I am excited for the new content...The new ships are long overdue...I was most excited to see you will be able to get 'Midnight Black' all year long...I keep missing it at Halloween... ;)

[UNBREAKABLE]

The pre-builds seem fine to me as long as there's no engineering built into the ships. But we also have to see how they plan to change engineering itself.

[spam]

Moving the RMT from cosmetic only to in-game advantage is unfortunate. However, I am surprised it took this long, considering the success Star Citizen has had with their model,

The problem with games that use RMT to bypass tedious grind, is it gives the developer a strong financial incentive to make the grind more painful than necessary to increase their cash-flows.

[jimbalayajones]

Originally posted by UNBREAKABLE:

The pre-builds seem fine to me as long as there's no engineering built into the ships. But we also have to see how they plan to change engineering itself.

That one definitely has me curious...I hope they do not dumb it down too much...I remember the early days of engineering and the effects were random and unique...I suppose it was redone because people wanted the maximum effect without the gamble...I like the engineering now but I do miss the unique ships that you could have...I guess we shall see how it is affected soon...Fingers crossed...

[GeneXRT]

With new special ships unlock for arx - maybe time for return of Cobra Mk4 :)

[Andromalius]

Originally posted by GeneXRT:

With new special ships unlock for arx - maybe time for return of Cobra Mk4 :)

HAHAH We'll truly know Frontier has changed if they sell the Cobra Mk4.

[jimbalayajones]

Originally posted by Andromalius:

Originally posted by GeneXRT:

With new special ships unlock for arx - maybe time for return of Cobra Mk4 :)

HAHAH We'll truly know Frontier has changed if they sell the Cobra Mk4.

I have always wanted one...Probably just sit and gather dust after I played with the new toy for a bit...Much better work horses out there...