Make the DLC partially free.

[SpacePilotMax]

A very ballsy suggestion, I know. Just my 5 cents. This is obviously up to the devs to decide.

So, here is my idea in a handy list:

1.  The DLC parts (and in-save mechanics [like a KAS DLC]) should be released to the entire playerbase to make mission and craft sharing more possible.

2. Cosmetic things like Kerbal outfits should be reserved for the people who actually bought the DLC.

3. Out-of-save mechanics (like the campaign and mission builder) should be reserved for the people who actually bought the DLC.

4.There should be a somewhat annoying popup that pops up when you press "launch" from the VAB with unowned DLC parts.

5.The parts could only be available in sandbox and/or not have coloration options and there could be a period of time (like 2 weeks or so) in which the parts are only available to the DLC buyers. After that, they will be released to everyone.

This would still incentivize buying the DLCs while making everyone happier and not splitting the community.

Just my one cent obviously. No need to be mad or start a flamewar.

[Greenfire32]

I mean, it's $15...

Also, it's already partially free.

Edited April 6, 2018 by Greenfire32

[steuben]

Not necessary for or against the concept. Just simply comments on the arguments.

Number four ranks as [an ill-considered idea -ed.]. that kind of pop-up will drive users away from KSP instead of encouraging them to buy the DLC.

Number five won't work as well as thought. If it will come free in <insert time frame here>, why bother you can wait for it. This is closely related to Gold Edition Syndrome. In which players won't by the game and DLC separately knowing that soon there will a  Gold Edition that collects it all up, for less.

Number one, happened with the Asteroid Day Mod. An official mod released by Squad, that was eventually blended into the stock game play.

 

[Rocket In My Pocket]

So...Squad should only "partially" pay their employees who worked on the DLC as well?

No such thing as a free lunch, if you are eating a sandwich it's because someone else isn't.

I'm not sure anyone at Squad is obligated or willing to share half their sandwich with you. Why should they? It's a good sandwich at a fair price, and they are selling them. So buy one?

[klesh]

11 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

No such thing as a free lunch, if you are eating a sandwich it's because someone else isn't.

 

 

This is part of why I forsee all of KSP's future DLC being as overpriced as Making History is.   A large chunk of prospective customers will perpetually receive DLC for free, forever, and the rest of us will be paying extra to pick up the revenue slack.

[silverfox101]

At the end of the day everybody has opinions on DLC, but my solution is a simple one. If some customers think its overpriced, lacking in content, etc. then don't buy, wait for the sale. Simples  

[munlander1]

1 hour ago, klesh said:

I forsee all of KSP's future DLC being as overpriced as Making History is

Why do you say its overpriced?

[0something0]

4 hours ago, SpacePilotMax said:

The DLC parts (and in-save mechanics [like a KAS DLC]) should be released to the entire playerbase to make mission and craft sharing more possible.

What if it was just a placeholder part so things like people without the DLC are able to open .craft files with DLC parts or not breaking your saves when you load up a save with DLC ships without the DLC installed while still incentivizing people to buy it?

[evileye.x]

Just buy the damn thing.

[HebaruSan]

19 minutes ago, 0something0 said:

What if it was just a placeholder part so things like people without the DLC are able to open .craft files with DLC parts or not breaking your saves when you load up a save with DLC ships without the DLC installed while still incentivizing people to buy it?

This would change the DLC from being the parts themselves to being a line of code to enable the parts that everyone has. Which would invite modders to make their own version of that line of code, which would then force SQUAD to choose between being unable to sell the DLC or going after such modders with Cease & Desist letters.

I think that's a bad idea.

[SpacePilotMax]

@Rocket In My Pocket I did my best to come up with a way to standardize this stuff while minimally impacting sales. I do understand the devs have to make money somehow.

@Greenfire32, @evileye.x, @silverfox101,  I would rather have the entire Near Future collection + SpaceY as opposed to the parts from the DLC. I am a bit of a stock purist simply because I want anyone playing the game to be able to recreate what I do. In this regard, the DLC is essentially a mod which some people may consider to be part of the game and some might not.

P.S. I am surprised I am the first to make this suggestion (I expected to be the first to do it politely though).

[Just Jim]

I'm sorry... no disrespect intended... but bottom line, the DLC cost less than most people spend at a take-out restaurant. And considering how much @SQUAD has done for us over the years, I don't really think this is a good idea.

[Kerbart]

But it already is partially free!

See, the DLC consists of two parts.

There's the one part, that is free.
Then there's the other part, that costs $15

They're sold together though, so it's not like you can get only the free part. You have to buy the entire set, which is partially free.

 

Seriously, what are we talking about. As @Just Jim pointed out. I had lunch with an ex-coworker today. We split the bill in half, and I paid, including tip, $19. I paid less for the DLC.

Edited April 6, 2018 by Kerbart

[Geonovast]

8 hours ago, SpacePilotMax said:

4.There should be a somewhat annoying popup that pops up when you press "launch" from the VAB with unowned DLC parts.

Advertising DLC in game is ok.  Even being slightly annoying about it (Looking at you, Halo) is tolerable.

Giving you the DLC, letting you build ships with it, then asking for money when you want to launch is downright rude.  Something like this would make me quit KSP immediately and never, ever even consider another game by the same company.

[SpacePilotMax]

Now that I think about it, something along the lines of what @0something0 said seems like a reasonable idea except for it could replace things with their closest stock analog. 

Also I really hope platform things along the lines a KAS DLC would be free.

@Kerbart 

[klgraham1013]

3 hours ago, evileye.x said:

Just buy the damn thing.

Once all the bugs are fixed.  We should all stop buying buggy products.

[panzer1b]

I dont think they need to make anything free, and this entire discussion is completely pointless as they are now stuck with what is done, since making stuff free will seriously turn off those that bought the DLC, likely resulting in far less sales of future DLC when those that buy are now unsure whether theyll just recieve half of the DLC free later.

 

Still, one good point in this thread that i have to agree with, is the fact that paywalling parts will always create some division among the community, and puts people into a bad situation where those that bought the DLC cant upload a DLC part craft without potentially annoying some people that cant use it, and vice versa where people that dont have the DLC get annoyed with being unable to download a DLC craft (especially in situations where said craft has but 1 DLC part in it even if it can function without that part.  Myself, i have no intention of buying the DLC anytime soon (until take 2 can prove to me they care about quality of KSP and not rushing it to meet investor meeting deadlines and other BS, then ofc release something super buggy, im not giving them a penny), and i honestly dont care (ive yet to find a craft i wanted to download with DLC only parts in it, but thats beside the point).

 

I suggest considering not putting parts behind future DLC, but its not like the current one is so expensive (unless you are using ur moms credit card or something ) as to limit you if you really want the new parts, none of which is really a big deal really or opens up something mods havent already done in some way.  Things id like to see in future DLC is multiplayer (never been done thusfar in a method that isnt so buggy its pointless), optimized visual effects like clouds (doubtful devs can beat EVE+scatterer, but if they could make similar fx without requiring as big a performance hit id gladly pay the game's base price for it), and something akin to a good planet pack (which will have very little compatibility problems between people outside of save file sharing which is very rare on here anyway outside of well stock spaceship battles or something akin to that).

[Capt. Hunt]

Maybe I missed something, but I didn't think you could even play the custom missions without the DLC, so what's the point?

[SpacePilotMax]

The parts?

[Capt. Hunt]

It's no different from mod parts, if you don't have the mod, you can't use the parts, or any craft that incorporate the parts.  get over it.  Maybe I'm just more used to games with payware DLC and mods, but that's just how it is, most if not all of the parts included in this pack have equivalent parts available through free mods like FASA, Tantares or BDB anyway, so you can always lean on those, or you can buy the DLC.  Atleast it's a $15 parts pack and not a $50 tank or a $100 airplane.

[goldenpsp]

this is the first paid anything for KSP since it's initial release in 2011.  Keep it as it is.

[steve_v]

4 hours ago, klgraham1013 said:

Once all the bugs are fixed.  We should all stop buying buggy products.

Indeed, but one can't see the mess until after buying it...
I'll buy the DLC when the regressions in the base game are fixed, not before.

 

4 hours ago, SpacePilotMax said:

The parts?

Why get hung up on wanting the parts? Mods already provide equivalents, and if you really want the buggy SQUAD rendition, $15 is peanuts.

Edited April 7, 2018 by steve_v

[EpicSpaceTroll139]

The parts are about half of the DLC, if not perhaps the best quality.

Remove half of the DLC and you will probably get about half of the people buying it.

Less money for Squad from KSP is not good for us. If the money tapers off then they will move on to make a new game and KSP won't get anymore updates.

Maybe some people would be fine with that. KSP does have a lot to offer. As for me however, I Iike getting updates with the occasional new part, game mechanic, or performance improvement.

I would have happily payed another $15 bucks to get the DLC if I hadn't been getting it already. As mentioned by JustJim, it's really not that much when you compare it to other expenses in life.

[0something0]

9 hours ago, HebaruSan said:

This would change the DLC from being the parts themselves to being a line of code to enable the parts that everyone has. Which would invite modders to make their own version of that line of code, which would then force SQUAD to choose between being unable to sell the DLC or going after such modders with Cease & Desist letters.

I think that's a bad idea.

When it loads the craft files it would check for any DLC parts and if the DLC is present. If there are DLC parts in ships but not the DLC, it would swap the parts with an inert version of them with the same dimensions which *are* in the stock game during the loading process.

[pandaman]

1 hour ago, 0something0 said:

When it loads the craft files it would check for any DLC parts and if the DLC is present. If there are DLC parts in ships but not the DLC, it would swap the parts with an inert version of them with the same dimensions which *are* in the stock game during the loading process.

That was how I envisioned it working too. Either use a non functional version of the part, which could be quite confusing.  Or maybe, replace the part with a plain structural substitute of the same size (with coloured bands to identify it more easily), which could be 'hidden' from the parts list in the same way the earlier version parts are.

I like the concept, but have mixed feelings as to whether it's the right approach.