Should You Buy Ships In Game? | Star Citizen 4K

Many Star Citizen backers buy ships with real cash, and many choose to buy with in game currency. What are the pros and cons of each? The video includes some cinematic footage from Star Citizen.
#StarCitizen #4K
00:00 Introduction
00:47 Availability
01:16 Value of Time and Money
02:38 Pay to Win
03:19 Insurance
04:05 Summary
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[@vagabondprime1691]

I work about 60 hours a week, so I paid cash for my "dream" ships. I do grind for the smaller ships I want, though!

[@TheStumafoo]

same here, the ships I want to start with in a brand new build , I will buy cash... and all the little ones I need to do ground or just for fun then ill grind, plus we need to support the project :}

[@robinrichards6275]

Same here, too. I'll grind for upgrades.

[@effies7713]

Just wanted to say me as well. I wish I could grind out everything but I just don’t have the time with work.

[@PapaFenn]

This is the way

[@shawnc5188]

Same. In fact I’m holding off spending aUEC until it’s confirmed there will be/not wipe for 3.19

[@MadBeausuff]

I have purchased ships both ways... But the item that draws me more towards out of game purchases is the wipe factor. I also do not have the luxury of time to grind away.

[@Ace-Brigade]

And they know this and do this on purpose. If you stay around long enough you will notice how there is usually a reason that comes up to wipe it right before a ship sale. Almost every time.

[@Enceos]

@@Ace-Brigade "white right before it ships sale" ?

[@MrEvanmcneilage]

@@Enceos Think he meant wipe

[@Ace-Brigade]

@@MrEvanmcneilage fixed. My apologies I was using voice to text while taking care of my 1-year-old 😂

[@merlinfanboy556]

@@Ace-Brigade Yeah I mean the reasons they provide do seem kind of logical but on the other hand it always makes me think "how convenient for them"

[@stanpowell9944]

To the folks who buy ships…thank you. Pays for development and the servers that we all enjoy…

[@squallleonheart7353]

My wallet never says thank you though

[@jazz8000]

@@squallleonheart7353 Neither does Chris and never will, we'll die before the game is out.

[@emilratzlaff2840]

Your welcome:) (my financial situation is critical)

[@muttdogsd2721]

Paying the cash has just let me have access to my dream ships whenever I want. Keeps the game fun.

[@xistaticxi7243]

i have a feeling this is what they want you to do... they say its just for game development but they really force you into buying it by making it feel like you wont always be abe to acces your ship unless you pledge for it.. but i dont know if thats true since the game has promised us alot and theyve made 550 plus million dollars and are only 10 percent complete with the game meaning theyd be spending 100 percent of that money on development.. so id ssay they have no reason to lie

[@polla2256]

To some extend it does. I find myself using the cutless black more than my carrack (dream ship) as the game loops aren't there yet, but I got a deal on the carrack and will be able to do full exploration off the bat when it's ready and the prices will only go up so I got in early. I melted the vanguard and am waiting for something that takes my fancy. One strategy is to grind during ship week and make millions then buy in game.

[@brandonr2188]

@@xistaticxi7243 most of the dream ships arent even in game yet, tbh

[@xistaticxi7243]

@@polla2256 im telling you!!! i bought the carrack thinking owning it and having access to it at the beginning of every patch would be the dream life and i just ended up only using the free arrow that comes with it and rarely flying the carrack since the carrack is pretty much usless unless for role play and trading as of right now..

[@xistaticxi7243]

@@brandonr2188 Selling concept ships for game thats only 10 percent complete and isnt even anywhere near beta yet sounds insane from a standpoint.... but it is how they fund game development and no ones forcing you buy or "donate" and if they games community supports the idea i see no problem

[@durtyred86]

For me. Big/special ships- I buy with cash. Small/unimportant ships- I buy in game. I like what I like. I say buy it if you want it and can.

[@Farrister]

Fair enough!

[@paulclark2410]

For me, it's a balance between having a ship I can always access regardless of wipes, and having something in game to grind for to make the game enjoyable.

[@antonharmacinski276]

That's why I've done a few upgrades. It's cool you can invest over time on a ship to upgrade the package. I love the Avenger Titan, but turned it into a X8R because the TA is fairly easy to grind away at, and its a goal to work towards. There are also a few ships that I just can't fathom buying in IRL. I've got a little over $300 into the game counting some skins, the subscription service for about 10 months, and 2 pledges/3 ships that I've upgraded over the year or so and right now, I don't see myself spending more than a few bucks here and there on a store item and I fluctuate on the subscription service depending on how much I've been playing.

[@CheeseOfMasters]

I thought wipes were a thing of the past by now?

[@antonharmacinski276]

@@CheeseOfMasters Supposed to be but there is one coming to prep for Invictus. I honestly was surprised it didn't happen today. But in the next week or two should be the last "last wipe." We'll see.

[@Farrister]

A very balanced perspective!

[@snaggletoof1927]

I'm of the mindset to buy into the game as cheap as possible and grind for other things. But that's just me. I respect either position. This just gives me incentive to try different things to earn aUEC (in a legit manner).

[@Farrister]

Level headed, as always Snaggletoof!

[@hanswurst9866]

CIG makes grinding for aUEC harder and harder. Even simple box delivery missions now involve derelict outposts swarming with enemies and no starter ship will survive their Cutlass Black always arriving after a minute or two. The later bunker missions are crazy with ~4 FPS servers. You cannot even switch weapons, but constantly die due to random invisible enemy fire, your body spawns in the centre of the planet and again you lose all your items which consumes all aUEC you made before. Eventually delivering the boxes will often let you end up in space until so many missions failed that the reputation with that faction is negative and you cannot get new missions again.

[@Farrister]

I think some of it ebbs and flows with what's in vogue at the time too

[@WhiskeyFish]

I really appreciate you offering different perspectives on why people may buy ships with real money vs in-game. I don't make a ton of money but I am very passionate about the game. As a parent of a toddler, I don't have a lot of time to grind for aUEC so I choose to buy with cash and am more than happy to do so as I genuinely enjoy the short bursts of time I have to play!

[@Farrister]

Toddler parent here, I'm starting to understand what you mean lol

[@Nemoticon]

Grinding for ships in game is the reason why I play and what keeps me playing... you put the effort in, enjoy the game and once you've earned your ship, it is thoroughly rewarding. I usually find (with the limited game loops we currently have), once I get most/all the ships I like and want, I get bored. But by the time this happens, we're usually due for a wipe, which works perfectly for me. I then get to grind for all the ships again, but enjoying the new updates we have along the way.

[@GhostOokami]

I am trying to keep my package/ship down close to a starter-ish ship. Right now I have a Nomad but I may upgrade to a Hull-A. My thought process in the game is to play the game and earn my ships in game. I find it more gratifying to earn them in game than just purchasing them outright. The journey to get the ship/s I want is enjoyable. I don't want to skip all of that content.

[@Leptospirosi]

Don't: the Hull A is not worth it IMO due to bad flying attitudes and very limited flexibility. A Freelancer would serve you much better IMO. Try the ship on a free rent before upgrading: the Nomad is really all you need to build some credits.

[@thegamingtribunal]

​@@Leptospirosiagreed

[@GhostOokami]

@@Leptospirosi Yeah I've not made the upgrade yet. I've been playing for many years now and tried the majority of ships at the moment. I really like cargo hauling but it's been in a poor state for a while so I probably won't get the hull-a yet.

[@derynbergeron9162]

​@@GhostOokami I upgraded from the nomad to the cutless black. I like them both, but the cutless just tips the scale for me.

[@GhostOokami]

@@derynbergeron9162 The cuttty series and I have a rough relationship. That ship has left me stranded so many times due to bugs where the back door would just stop working randomly lol. I haven't touched that thing in over a year.

[@wertacus]

My thoughts are that after building/buying a pc to run the game and maybe even a joystick or two, a stream deck for custom buttons and maybe even more, the cost you spend on games becomes pretty small in comparison. If you want to drive a carrack day one of every wipe, you'll be happy you spent the extra. Doing missions to get auec is not really fun. Doing missions in my sick carrack with all my buddies is awesome.

[@agentrabbit186]

That's cool And all But most people don't have the money to Is spend on a game accessory When you can earn it an in game Yeah there's a wipe and all but that's not gonna. Stop me from spending my own real money on something pointless

[@wertacus]

@Agent Rabbit I know that doesn't describe everyone. I know there's players on banged up gaming laptops from 5 years back getting 23fps in their aurora but it doesn't nullify the people who have the money to build a whole cockpit and fill out an asop terminal. I've been in both positions.

[@agentrabbit186]

@@wertacus I don't even spend money on anything I just been fifteen dollars on it To get fake money and then I get everything in the game I want and still have fun

[@Farrister]

If it fits your circumstances, fair enough!

[@LMMSDeadDuck]

I appreciate this video. It's funny because when it first kickstarted, I was still young(ish) and had more time to grind/play and less real money. Now I've got bigger obligations at work and home which means less free time, but more money. My gaming time has become more valuable to me. Purchasing ships is a not only a way to back the project, but a means of convenience for me to maximize my gaming time.

[@Farrister]

And that's perfectly fine too!

[@thefaithfulcraftsman7471]

For the most part, I bought ships to make UEC so I could do all the other game play loops. I'm an industrial based player so all my pledged ships are industrial, then I buy the non-industrial ones with UEC. Thanks for the video!

[@Farrister]

Gotta make that sweet aUEC somehow!

[@realtalkz3930]

It's time VS money for most people, once you find your preferred gameplay loops to earn credits its up to you if wanna buy a ship with credits or money to speed things up and that all depends on if the game is even stable to play, the patch is going to be the same for a good amount of time and you have the free time to earn enough credits.

[@cowboy10uk]

I have acquired quite a significant fleet over the years I’ve been backing this game. Started way back in 2012 with a golden ticket, and ALL my ships have been purchased with real money. While over the years it has added up to a significant amount which opens up access to very very rare ships, overall I don’t think I’ve spent any more than I would’ve spent on other games as I give myself a gaming budget each year which is financed purely by overtime payments. That way it doesn’t effect any household savings. The main reason for purchasing with real money is the benefit of not losing the ships and having to grind for weeks or months again if I get killed in game, especially when I only have a very limited time to play anyway, I am however limiting myself to only using the ships in my fleet which the character can afford to run. So the bigger ships stay in the hangar unless it’s a very special event in game and I tend to stick with my smaller or medium ships. Taurus being the main workhorse.

[@Farrister]

And nothing wrong with that! (In fact, I'm a big fan of the 'budget' spreadsheets!)

[@wernervanschalkwyk6652]

I hate the whole "paying cash for a ship" thing, but honestly upgrading my Mustang for a 300i had me more excited for this game than I have been in a LONG time

[@rugoshath]

300i is very cool indeed, still one of my favourites

[@Farrister]

The whole 300 series just inspires that kind of sentiment, I think!

[@ItsShane79]

@Farrister, there is something you forgot to mention in this video though.. very often I find that ships which AREN'T for sale yet for real cash actually CAN be purchable in-game. Example: The basic Greycat buggy that you could drive around your hangar with wasn't for sale for real cash but actually could be bought in-game for only 5.000 Uec's. Also the Origin 85X, a very handy tiny 2-seater luxury multi functional ship still can NOT be bought in the store, but CAN be bought in-game. Also I noticed that often prices in-game are much cheaper in comparisant to their real-money purchase options. Perhaps you can do a video on that next? On wich ships can be bought in-game but are not for sale in the real money store yet.

[@addermoth]

I treat SC like my previous MMO which required me to pay a monthly subscription just to access it. Whilst I never bought their tokens or cash shop items I did have a couple of accounts. The money I save by not playing that game I save up and occasionally upgrade my ship with that cash or buy another. I have currently spent $400 over the past three years and have enjoyed my time in SC. Had I continued playing my old MMO the cost would have been tripled. I changed to SC and saved money. A win for me. Others will surely disagree.

[@Farrister]

That makes sense to me!

[@ronkrueger-capt_koron6112]

Great video Farrister. I may be crazy, but at the moment all of my ships were purchased with cash. My motivation is support of the game and it's development. I prefer to have my ships when there is wipes, since I've seen so many of them. Eventually when they quit wiping the servers, I will start to build up my fleet with in game purchases. Thank you for your insightful video. Take care my friend, fly safe, and I'll see you in the verse.

[@Farrister]

Not crazy, probably just linked to the recent reset!

[@aipilot6795]

I think buying with real money or earning in game are both ok. If I buy expensive ships it’s partly because I really want the ship and partly because I want to support development. I do want to earn the majority of ships in game though.

[@Farrister]

A healthy attitude, as always :)

[@Hamisback]

The insurances on paid ships will probably be changed drastictically cause of consumer protection laws. I'd imagine all real world purchased ships will all be LTI when the game goes live. Though the claim timers will be significantly longer than they are now and scale with the size/resources/avaliabiliy of your ships haul in the system your in (starter ships being like a few minutes where as like a javelin could be several weeks). The sail of aUEC in the cashop would disappear as to not enable people from bank rolling arms races. Ships with existing insurance packages will probably be changed to an insurance plus type package where it gets a automatically expedited timer, and ships without this enhanced tier can be added either through aEUC or cash shop item in 30 day periouds. While in game ships will need to be insured either with a significant portion of aUEC or some sort of cash shop purchased insurance package or risk being lost, however this does create a unique scenario for those with a lot of aUEC to simply purchase multiple ships rather than wait on a timer to have multiples in fast supply or to quickly outfit a military effort without others risk waiting on a long timer. I don't imagine them getting rid of selling ships in the cash shop however, they would probably go on some sort of limited rotation as well as new ships being made to keep funding the game and to give people a unique choice. Either I can earn the ship I want in game, constantly work to keep its insurance going in order to avoid the risk of it being gone forever, or purchase the ship when it goes on sale (hopefully at significantly lower prices than we are seeing now as they would be closer to DLC at that point then a funding effort) get LTI on it, and not have to worry about never seeing it again and allocate that money I was spending on insurance either getting better insurance or other in game things. Purchased subscriber flair more than likely will turn to skins that you can apply or repurchased in game after a set timer from a terminal.

[@Farrister]

Yeah, I will be interested to see how it all translates. And of course the added complication that different laws affect different players. I wouldn't be surprised if they revisited the whole insurance system at some point

[@shawnc5188]

When I joined SC in alpha 3.15, I had a Titan avenger starter, and did a mining grind for all ships in game - including a Carrack and 890 Jump. With the recent wipes because of patch 3.18, I’ve organised my fleet around four cash ships.. took me a year to reach concierge. At this point in time, we don't know if there will be a wipe in patch 3.19, or whether its a partial inventory wipe (like patch 3.18.2), so I'd hold off buying until we receive some clarity (all my XT and JT aUEC)

[@Farrister]

That's fair

[@fa13dguy]

I have four ships that I purchased with real world money... none of them being ground vehicles. Those ships are: The Polaris, The Hercules A2, The Mustang Omega and the Aegis Sabre Raven. I intend to earn whatever else I may need in game with (a)UEC.

[@Farrister]

Oh wow, they're all very different ships too!

[@MethosReborn5930]

Thanks mate, another good POV

[@Farrister]

Cheers

[@squallleonheart7353]

I think no matter what your circumstance, we shouldn't shame people who do buy ships with their real life money, and we shouldn't shame those that don't. We should remind everybody to be fiscally responsible, and nobody else should tell you how to spend your own money.

[@Farrister]

Agreed!

[@johno6219]

I've bought and grinded. But with the instability and frequent wipes I'm reluctant to do both at the moment. Plod around with what I have until further progress is made with the game.

[@Farrister]

That's understandable, I think

[@TairnKA]

I've stuck to the primes that my ship purchases are donations for the game's development so through the time I've purchased several ships, primarily solo player or duel crew (turret) ships. I don't foresee any further ship purchases, but maybe some update(s)? Regarding LTI; it should be for a lifetime, but in game costs for upgrades to components (coolers, shield generators, etc...) and weapons should have limited insurance and especially cargo should have optional insurance (highly recommended).

[@antonharmacinski276]

I have a few pledge ships. I think keeping them through the wipes is the only reason to get them. I mean, everybody has 1, but most are or will be available for EAU. I happened to get a bonus Aurora when I originally signed up and it had lifetime insurance. I've upgraded it to a Cutty Black over the years so it's got the LTI on it now. I also upgraded the original pledge (mustang) to an Avenger Titan, then to a Pisces X8R. That only came with 3 months insurance. Then I have a Nomad with 6 months insurance that I recently purchased because it's just great to have around. I do think the insurance system should be reviewed. If you pay IRL cash for something you should be able to keep claiming it. Maybe add some type of EAU fee or add fines to be paid before they can be claimed. Something to balance it out and prevent it from being an essential pay to win with players with IRL ships just dominating. That being said, some of us could die of old age before they start messing with peoples money with insurance mechanics. I can go play Eve if I want to loose the money I spend on supporting a video game.

[@ryanjt84]

The feeling of buying a new ship with aUEC earned in-game is one I really enjoy. I do own some "real-money" ships, but there are plenty I still want. For me, my current "end-game" goal are the ships, with all components upgraded and weapon racks stocked. 🚀

[@Farrister]

A satisfying unlock

[@AthrunX23s]

I just started playing last month and currently only have a Nomad, but the only ships I'll probably pledge for are the Prospector to help with after-wipe grind and the 325a because I want one in white lol.

[@Farrister]

Haha Origin ships will do that to you xD

[@limitedrespawns]

Some people spend their money on performance cars, others on more holidays. Some spend money on virtual spaceships... Each to their own

[@Farrister]

Each to their own

[@AgentXRifle]

400i is over 6million aUEC… hard to grind for that ship when it has little purpose. So I bought it outright. Always great starting after a wipe with such a gorgeous ship! Funny, the corsair, which is nearly the same cost of a 400i with real $ is way less aUEC (i think in 3.19 PU it will go for 3.5 million aUEC, could be wrong but it’s what i was told) I hate grinding, especially when SC is feeling very ‘alpha’.

[@felian9562]

I'm not there yet, but i'm aiming for the 400i as a post wipe daily driver. I just want to "earn" it with grind first. The corsair is probably better, but i want the beautifull interior.

[@Farrister]

I still can't get over that nose!

[@electrospud9230]

Unlike most people who play online games these days, my days of playing multiple hours has long since passed with RL jobs, family and responsibilities, at the end of the day when I have the time to play the game or any game for that matter I want to play it rather than grind the stuff in it. Unless CIG comes up with a ship (Crusader Light/Medium/Heavy Fighter) that I would like to have readily available my current fleet is probably enough for me to play the game at its current state or when it eventually (hoping in my lifetime) comes out as a full game.

[@Farrister]

I feel you there - shifting priorities

[@redactedredacted3721]

only you know when this type of video need a new one, but i like seeing this type of video around sale times. but also want to know what ships are worth buying with real money vs auec VS when the next wipe is expected to be.

[@Farrister]

To some extent, that has to be a personal choice

[@Sqeezey17Musc-rq4tl]

The most valuable currency in life is time. It is the only thing that is spent & never earned back.

[@Farrister]

A wise mantra

[@DavidYoutube-nz5pk]

I though he might have weighed the pros and cons of auec vs cash. Time vs money. Maybe even a comparison of in game auec value vs cash price. A cyclone can be obtained with one mission but has very little money weaning potential apart from transport to a bunker. Where as a prospector can potentially be your cash cow to open up a whole world free (time cost) auec ships. Same could be said for a sentinal and a vulture.

[@Farrister]

I think it gets too individual at that point. People assign different value to their time, and the 'true' value of something will be dependent on how much use they get out of it. A Prospector accordingly is more or less valuable to some players, depending on how much they like mining. So I tried to be a bit more general with some of the themes, I guess

[@BunkerSquirrel]

I suppose if you are able to work Overtime at work, you could reasonably consider it as grinding auec irl as opposed to in-game. Plus you’re supporting a game you’re willing to spend tens of hours grinding for a C2 in that’s still in alpha, so I guess that’s kind of a plus

[@Farrister]

The real grind lol

[@enditta]

To me it’s quite simple, get a ship of your liking, either a prospector or a ship that you can manage to do at least high risk bounty’s for real cash. That will save quite a bit of frustration with the wipes, always being able to fall back on a decent way to make aUEC. And even if you can only afford a starter ship IRL you can always upgrade that a little bit further down.

[@Farrister]

A sound prospect, I think

[@spookytooth2044]

I understand that many players are not in a position to lay out real cash, or simply object or not wish to fork out what can be insane amounts of money for game content, but nowadays I prefer to purchase mine with real cash. I’ve spent several years playing the grinding game so I feel I’ve done the time. Now I’ve reached that stage where I want to enjoy the game for what it offers without the pressure of thinking I need to be making money all the time just to get back to the point I’d reached before one of the many wipes. To continually repeat this process knowing full well what the future holds would be a game killer for me. I don’t expect anyone to agree with me and I’m certainly not knocking SC but I’m playing this game for pleasure and the future seems a lot brighter knowing I can hit the ground running after a reset.

[@ishtaunt3191]

I only buy ships with irl money because I am impulsive and yeet money at things I enjoy. And I also won't have to rebuy it when the occasional wipe appears. It also allows me to lend them to friends or people that want to test things before they decide if they want it if they struggle to make auec.

[@Farrister]

I've yeeted so much money...

[@PhillipLemmon]

Me: "reads title of video..." Also me: "ABSOLUTELY F'K YES!!!"

[@Farrister]

Haha

[@BubbaZzz]

I don't have as much time to play as I would like but I really enjoy the game. For that reason I bought 2 ships and 2 smaller vehicles with cash. However when I found out that If the game ever goes live there is possibility of loosing those ships even though I paid cash for them I put the end to it. I would probably own at least 2 more ships since then because I understand that it helps development of the game but I work hard for my money and if I pay for something I expect to keep it.

[@demonic75]

@stream3942 Where did you hear this? This is quite concerning but I still doubt it will ever be implemented as people would definitely drop the game and cause CIG lots of pain

[@AnymMusic]

If they were to ever do this, class action lawsuit is inbound

[@Farrister]

Yeah, I think we need more details on insurance

[@vashhdastampede7305]

I paid cash for medium size ships to have fun but I’ll wait to buy bigger stuff later since I’m playing solo most of the time anyway

[@Farrister]

And I imagine, until some of the solo vs multi-crew mechanics are a bit clearer?

[@Mike5Brown]

Im looking at a fleet of 2 or 3 ships. Got a Crucible to actually earn money with and an Aurora for a daily driver. I am looking to upgrade the Aurora to a larger daily driver that can hold a ground vehicle (C1 or E1). Anything else can be earned in game.

[@Farrister]

Stoked for some Crucible goodness!

[@ItsShane79]

Currently I own only 2 ships bought with real cash, a Cutlas Black and a Prospector and I'd like to buy more ships eventually through the pledge store rather then in-game, however I have been a bit aprehensive about buying more since I am somewhat worried about slow developement and this game being too grand or "too good to be true" or "too large to ever get to a fully finished state" thats why I am holding off more pledge purchases and sticking to in-game purchases only. (however I am tempted to buy the Vulture for real cash though)

[@Fokkusu]

I personally buy all ships in game, I do have the time and the friends to enjoy the process, my ship is a aurora CCU'd to a Esperia Talon, from there all its gained in game for maximum satisfaction

[@Farrister]

Fantastic!

[@kennethjensen730]

Good video, while putting thougts into the subject, its important to remind. People of this, i have a tendency of just buying out of pur Joy, i might have to chill a bit.. Easy to get out of hand

[@Farrister]

Agreed!

[@Chaffee738]

I've bought a few ships as a means of funding the project and often melt or upgrade them once in a while. I developed some sort of rules or strategy in doing so. For example, I try not to take away from my own experience of making money and buying new useful ships and then using them again to make more money. I'd especially avoid ships in the "money maker in the early stages in the game" category because that would take away all the fun. So when it comes to real money ships I tend to prioritize the fun, uniqueness, etc factors rather than utility. I also bought some really rare or hard-to-get ships like the Archimedes. And I aim to own with real money one ship in the 100m+ category as a mobile base for me and friends. So far there isn't a ship that perfectly matches my fantasy, but I'm sure eventually one will be announced and added to game.

[@CMDR-Ashtar]

I payed for my fleet because I have a job in the real world and refuse to have a job in a video game. I still buy land vehicle's in game tho.

[@Farrister]

Fair enough!

[@mangotapu]

They've found their business model for sure. Has it been 15 years by now, with the kickstarter included?

[@Farrister]

Just over 10

[@spaztron7023]

I like buying then upgrading when I have money. I treat it like a night out. How much would I spend for a dinner and a movie. I am bumbed out that I cant buy the 400i but oh well. I only believe in having 2 maybe 3 ships. The C8 medical will always be one of those ships followed by the cutlass. The third ship for me would be the 400i. Then buy the rest in game. later in live work up the the 890 jump.

[@Farrister]

That's a fair approach, I think!

[@crackedjabber]

I used something of a hybrid model. I started with a 315p, and if I saved up enough money to buy a ship in game... then I could buy it with cash if I liked it enough. Is the ship not flyable? I can buy the rental ships on the store and that counts (hello there Perseus!). That way, I'm investing the time into the game to cover the cost of whatever the ship is. And since I'm bad at grinding, I know I've invested a lot more time than the bare minimum.

[@Farrister]

Ah that's an interesting approach :)

[@emperorurbi]

In game currency is indeed perfectly viable at the moment. If you want to spend a little more, there's relative cheap ships in most gaming loops. I'm always happy to start in my arrow after a wipe :) when you like bounties, consider the arrow over the starter ship. you like the box runs or some trading check out the titan or maybe the cutty black. you like fps missions maybe an upgrade to a medical pisces could be for you. the mining loop and/or salvage require a bigger investment, but once the vulture is rentable it should be fairly easy to rent one to get enough auec to buy one later. . the prospector is already rentable in game to test out the loop and make some cash. there's also the two seaters that are fairly cheap in game to play with a friend.

[@Farrister]

And it doesn't just have to be combat ships either - there are 'starter' industrial ships too!

[@andrewfanner2245]

I'm not especially good at making money in game, my 20K is someone else' 2M aUEC. I've bought a ship I wanted for cash, and although I could buy it in game, the wipe would have taken it away. If wipes stopped, in game purchase would be more of an option. But for a big multi crew ship the goalposts move, at that stage unless there was a good guarantee of a regular crew then hard real cash might feel wasted. Where the sweet spot between those may be, I've no idea!

[@Farrister]

That's fair enough :)

[@kw7304]

I paid cash for big ships, like Carrack , Hammerhead, Polaris and A2. For small ships (below 2M auec), I do grind for fun :)

[@kw7304]

For some ships, such as Carrack , 600i etc , only cash version allow you to rename it (paint a unique name on your ship)

[@Farrister]

That's a lot of big ships!

[@Tschenggo]

For me it all comes down to playtime. My rule of thumb is 1€ should get me at least 1 hour of gametime. So if I pay for a full game 60€, I expect that I get at least 60 hours of gametime out of it. So this also means that if I enjoy a game, I might invest some extra to incentevise the DEVs to bring more stuff that I like to the game. I usually prefer "Micro Transactions", like having a skin for a couple of bucks. So for SC I have a better starter ship, and will most likly use warbonds to get a Freelancer MAX, as I really like the ship. But I don't see myself spend any more money on ships, as it makes me question also the balance of the game. If a new player buys the released game (in 10 years maybe ^^) and they start aut with an aurora or mustang and see everyone fly javelins and idris and what not, it might frustrate them. Especially as some ships literally make the difference of being able to play a certain game loop or not. Sure you can rent a prospector for a day, but you can't rent a vulture to try salvage. In short: I don't want to be a whale in this game, but I will support the devs with micro transations if they offer something interessting, as I want to see the project get released.

[@Farrister]

Oh I like the idea of a pay what you're comfortable for time spent

[@flyyhighhh]

I've bought ships for different purpose.. I wanna mine, I have the ship for it... I wanna do combat, I have the ship for it.. I wanna be a spacetrucker, I have the ship for it... But all this comes down to when the BMM (big wifey) comes out, I'm just smelting the rest of the ship I no longer need, and if something catches my eye I have in-game credit for it to try it out.

[@Farrister]

I loved the meticulous approach, and then just pure love for BMM

[@Hammerheadcruiser]

I'm an Origin fanboy, and while I far prefer to buy in-game, the AUEC cost of some of the bigger origin ships is horrendous. If I ever start playing regularly rather then sporadically, I may put down some real cash to grab a 400i or 600i. Other brands however, those without the luxury price hike? Those are definitely for in-game.

[@Farrister]

*cries in 890 JUMP pricing*

[@dracotalcar3287]

What I think would be a good model is making it so cash purchased ships will have infinte insurance no matter when or how they are lost you will always be able to reclaim a cashed purchased ship. ships purchased in game will need insurance, insurance should work off of server time and auto pay can be cancled without consiqunce (all with in game money) but if your in game ship is destroyed without insurance it is gone and will need to be repurchased at full price.

[@Farrister]

I'll be really interested to see how the whole "insurance" thing pans out...

[@NY-Vice]

I pledge real money for ships that are great at making aUEC. If the ship isn't great at making money then it won't be used as often so I am willing to wait and buy it in game. Ships like the Starfarer, Herald, Valkyrie, Prowler etc all fill very niche roles that aren't going to be needed all the time, so I do not feel the need to pay real world cash for them just to sit around when I could save up in game and buy them if I need them.

[@Farrister]

That's smart, if you can afford it!

[@RN1441]

As a day one backer from 2012, I only finally tried out the PU now in 2023 and it feels like CIG has implemented as many frustration/forced delay mechanics as possible to motivate people to break out the credit card for more ships. Long insurance claims, long delivery times, long times required to kit out ships that have poor default configs, inventories getting lost whether on death or on storage/claim etc. etc. I tried for a couple weeks to 'earn' in game and found that the game seemed to be trying to rob me at every step of the way. Last week, I made an effort again, lost a cargo then had 3 missions in a row fail due to bugs and glitches. Given they've spent more than a half billion dollars on this thing, it feels like an intentional trap to motivate spend like I would expect in F2P fare.

[@fa13dguy]

You may want to just wait until Alpha is over then, tbh. Right now it's not in a "completed" state and is prone to development bugs. I'm assuming you can wait based on your own statement.

[@Farrister]

I think give it time. The timers have just been made a lot longer in PU, which is an 'experiment' from what I can tell.

[@RN1441]

@@Farrister If this is what they've accomplished in the 8.5 years and ~400 million spent since I checked out the flight tutorial, I don't think time is their limiting factor.

[@Leptospirosi]

Buying a good ship for money is always a good way out of the initial wipe despair. This been said, overspending detract from the value of earning your ship through gameplay. I'm a little whale and I regret spending too much (relatively speaking) on this never end developing game, because it takes away motivation to come back and grind some credits with a purpose. Another wise aproach is to "THINK" about what you will probably be able to use further down in development: a Carrak is an outstanding ship, but will you have people coming with you to operate it? Never assume Blades and AI will replace humans except for turret controls. How often will a set of players stick with you for days in an Orion? How will possibly you man that Kraken? Buy wisely!

[@cairnarunir]

Personally I just want to fly a Kraken around, I don't really care if it's crewed or not lol. That being said though, my Org could still use it as a launch platform for Org ops

[@coldReactive]

If I had known about the Mustang Alpha coming in the future back in 2012 or so, I would've backed this then and done "Zero to Hero" as some people would come to call it.

[@Farrister]

Fan of the Mustang?

[@BrianGanPix]

Had to save up for ships I wanted, up to the point its getting in the way of life. So I think im good with a starter package and grind my way from zero to hero.

[@Farrister]

A good value choice :)

[@Nosdeblack]

Totally agree with your thoughts. I'm the one who do everything to ccu gaming savings.

[@Farrister]

The CCU minigame lol

[@Nosdeblack]

@@Farrister I always see it as a "game" apart 😅

[@ReDankification]

you made like, one big point about people having different financial situations. but i feel like the rest was such moot ranting. good video i guess, not gonna nit pick too hard. just thought id get more out of it

[@Farrister]

Sorry to disappoint :(

[@ReDankification]

@@Farrister maybe I was too negative, it’s a good video, and I still follow your channel

[@Farrister]

@@ReDankification it's fair enough, don't have to like or agree with everything!

[@Raider19D]

This is the best system because it's pay to not grind. Alot of ppl just don't have the time to grind every day. Some people (Actually alot, have full time jobs, kids) and other distractions SO I think this is a fair system. It gives those who basically wanna go zero to hero a chance to do so without spending real money.

[@CyberiusT]

With real money: I bought my initial game package (Freelancer), then upgraded to a MAX; bought an Archimedes, crossgraded to a Mustang explorer, and again to a 315p - then customised it; and I bought a Prospector. I don't expect to be making any more real money purchases, but I've been impulsive before so who knows? Actually, my main interest is Sq42 rather than the MMO. Given that, I needn't have bought anything at all, but I /want/ this game to exist - not just for me, but for what having something like this be successful will do for the industry as a whole. that means I feel a strong incentive to fund the project. Unfortunately for me, I'm not well placed to be a Concierge, so buying the equivalent of 4 + games will have to do - for now, anyway.

[@rugoshath]

In 2014 I spent $45 for an Aurora LN and SQ42 game package, money I didn't really have at the time. I promised myself I'd never spend more than that. Today, $1300+ worth of ships later... Invictus coming up... HAAAALP!

[@Farrister]

Haha

[@justalex4214]

I think buying ships in game is becoming increasingly viable as more opportunities to earn money are implemented into the game. While the most efficient gameloops in 3.17 and 3.18 were bunkers and service beacons which get boring really quick, in 3.19 we have overhauled mining, salvage missions, component salvaging and due to the adjustments and additions of new minerals even trading has become more of an option to earn auec.

[@xistaticxi7243]

my guy... salvage is paywalled

[@justalex4214]

@@xistaticxi7243 for now, yes, but you can work around that by stealing a vulture from an npc and use that to salvage if you accept the lawless version of a salvage mission.

[@AnymMusic]

​@@justalex4214 or they could just.... not pay wall an entire mechanic

[@justalex4214]

@@AnymMusic you can always farm for a reclaimer ;)

[@xistaticxi7243]

@@justalex4214 tried that BS in 3.18 got 6 mill and maxed bunker rep and BAM full wipe... couldve at F-ING least let us keep the DAMN REP...

[@spokstar9715]

If I were your English teacher I'd give you an A+

[@Farrister]

Haha thanks

[@Cherronova]

I’m concerned that when things advance, ship in game prices are supposed to go up astronomically.

[@Farrister]

I dread to think

[@cyanetica4802]

Would you like to review the Corsair maybe? I could deploy one for you.

[@Farrister]

It's done, publishes either tomorrow or Tuesday!

[@TypicalDutchSaysHi]

I bought ships and 100k of UEC with real money. I hate grinding. Grinding spoiled my fun in ED (together with Engineering) so I'm glad I can skip that in SC. I don't know what my C2 costs in game, but I guess time needed to get that amount of aUEC by hauling cargo and doing box missions is immense.

[@Farrister]

I think time will tell on the UEC part. I imagine the whole economy will be balanced and rebalanced at some point

[@TypicalDutchSaysHi]

@@Farrister Note: I bought the UEC at the RSI Store itself, not gray market. Just to confuse misunderstanding.

[@a-aronlincoln6309]

ATM it makes absolutely no sense to make the insurance system more punishing when the vast majority of claims are bug related not player error. And we're pretty far away from that being changed significantly.

[@Farrister]

Agree, although it seems to be happening anyway! But I imagine it'll need some more thought at some point

[@kylenolan6228]

i bought the avenger titan for 86 euro and i think thats enough to spend on any game grinding for the bigger better ships is what makes it fun for me

[@fa13dguy]

I do hope you mean the Avenger Warlock. 86 Euro seems a bit off for the Titan when it's listed for $55USD in the shop...

[@kylenolan6228]

@@fa13dguy nope titan

[@fa13dguy]

@@kylenolan6228 Ahh you got the starter package that came with Squadron 42 :) Avenger Titan is the better choice for a starter (out of the the ships at that price point) due to it's utility.

[@Farrister]

Love the Avenger, I think it's a great platform to be able to unlock more in game too!

[@CapnSnackbeard]

Most of your ship money is going toward the production of Squadron 42, which you do not get with your purchase. Give yourself something to do in-game and buy the ships there.

[@Farrister]

Well, historic backers may have SQ42 as part of game package, but yes, I see what you're saying!

[@CapnSnackbeard]

@@Farrister the tutorial ate the game.

[@Dervraka]

It's kind of a Catch-22, you spend days grinding for ships in game just to lose them during a server wipe, and even if you're really lucky and the persist through a wipe, you will still lose them before the game eventually goes to full release anyway (baring a huge change of heart by CIG). On the other hand, say you spend tons of real money on a fleet of ships, all with lifetime, or at least really long-term insurance. Then you've taken a lot of incentive out of actually playing the game. As a cargo hauler, why do I need to spend a year grinding my way up to that Hull E if I have one setting in my hanger on Day 1 of full release?

[@Spidder81]

I only bought a Cutlass Black, i want to earn money in game to buy ships in game. I feel like it would take a big part of the gameplay loop away from me as I like to earn to buy stuff. Let the rich people fund the game for the rest of us XD. I will treat myself to a Vulture when I have the money but that will be where its end, wouldnt spend any more. I dont mind the wipes as I know it wont be forever, and love the grind/gameplay to earn what I want in game, and that goes for any game I play. Though I do subscribe and sometimes treat myself to extra ship paints and what not, so thats my way of contributing :) Star Citizen will be a game i play for as long as I live as I do love the game, but I want to earn in game ships with in game work.

[@Lobster_Mack]

In game insurance will have to be a strictly enforced in-game overhead because of consumer protection laws around the world. If it's a big enough money sink, could keep you too poor to leave a star system at some point without assistance

[@Farrister]

Yeah, I just don't know how it's all going to end up working

[@Lobster_Mack]

I suspect a monthly premium for each ship. Should be a major factor in Tony Z's economy. It's a part of strategy that in-game purchasers and out-of game buyers should really consider. Capital ship premiums could be hefty

[@sabatheus]

Yes, I buy ships! Life is too short to grind! I wanna get right out there.

[@Farrister]

Fair enough!

[@fredashay]

I want LTI on my ships so that's one less thing I have to worry about. IMO, they should just assume everybody has insurance on all their ships by default. But they don't. So I buy ships in the Pledge Store so I can have LTI.

[@BizzMRK]

LTI is way too overhyped tbh even CIG admitted that in the past when they tried to stop giving out LTI but couldn't resist the money flow it brought in and kept going with it. Either you upgrade your ship or it gets obsolete because something new released before the base insurance runs out especially with the longer contracts and CIG already confirmed that it wouldnt be that expensive anyway and compared the renewing fee to refueling, maintenance cost and docking fees. LTI won't cover costs of insurance claims (expediting), repairs or lost non-stock equipment either so you need to insure any upgraded modules or weapons seperately anyway.

[@Fletchman1313]

Buying ships in-game should be the way to go. It would be the primary motivation to make money in the game; get a better and bigger ship. It's a more tangible goal than something like "I want to just have fun and enjoy the game." For me, I always think about what ships I want to start off with. It'll be one daily driver, one backup, and maybe one long range ship. They all should be "general purpose" or multi-purpose versatile ships. From that point on I'll buy more specialized ships in-game (explorer, mining ship, salvage ship, hauler, etc). At least at this point. Things may change depending on how the game evolves.

[@Sacred421]

Buy ships or don't, that's on the individual. I personally only have the one I've upgraded over the years. The big payday doesn't go to CIG unfortunately and that's the super computer you need to even play the game. That's the biggest gate to hurdle if your gonna play.

[@Farrister]

Well, for now at least

[@Sacred421]

@@Farrister yeah, it's nice to see some optimizing being done in certain areas. CIG seems to be at a good point and are churning it out lately.

[@deltaviking]

I stumble across this game and looks and feel great, but Im in doubt about getting it, I live in a country where 45us dollars means a quarter of my monthly salary, so I want to know if is possible to buy ships with game earn credits without spending a semester of grinding. Thanks everyone to understand my question!

[@Farrister]

It is, although larger ships will take longer. The game is still being rebalanced from time to time, so we'll have to see where that ends up at 'release'.

[@goldbondmedicatedfoodpowder]

Farrister bringing us the hits!!

[@Farrister]

Was this one of the hits? :D

[@goldbondmedicatedfoodpowder]

@@Farrister They're all hits!!!

[@beardedbarnstormer9577]

Even without wipes I'd buy ships. I just don't have the time to grind these days.

[@Farrister]

That's fair enough!

[@GUMPNSTEIN]

The real question is, how many of the features in-game are they way they are to push ship sales for cash. And if this type of monetization, after a certain point, becomes an incentive to never actually finish the game, and instead, changes the motivation to not finishing the game as a way to produce profits.

[@Farrister]

It'll be interesting to see how the "future" funding model develops, if at all

[@davewills6121]

The odd cheap ship...why not, but spend every waking hour GRINDING as some do, just to have the mary celeste 890 jump....not at all. buy the way!, if you wait a while, you can buy cheap aUEC as i do, and buy any ship in game.

[@Farrister]

Nothing wrong with either :)

[@arcadealchemist]

when the game moves to beta expect the economy to COMPLEATLY change to a more player based economy with manufacturing of ships being LIMITED supply and prices being set by the demand ships will most likely be sold as "Hulls" not whole ships and parts will be bought and everything has to be insured manually. this is the organic path i see CIG headding towarD because this whole quanta thing and TDD having infinitte money supply is never going to produce a working economy

[@fIayff]

I bought back in 2016 my starter access with the good ol mustang. Never paid anymore than those 45 euros. And I gotta say, I fear that a "p2w" model is at this point not reversable. It is and will be p2w. An ORG with multiple Idrises under their belly will always win against an org of the same sizes with just mustangs. That's the status quo. But I am more worried about another aspect: The rarity of ships. Seeing an Idris, javelin, kraken should be rare af occurence. Only the really strong established orgs should be able to afford those behomous ships - at least in my opinion. But as for now, There are soooo many people who claim to have already bought all those ships. So I fear, getting into the game (once it works as an actual stable game) and just being crushed by everybody because they have already bought all the ships

[@Chicken_master2000]

Bruh I can't even access the game 😂 But your opinion is actually quite the reasonable one I agree with you mate❤

[@Farrister]

Cheers

[@Chicken_master2000]

@@Farrister ✌️cheers

[@andyandreson3989]

People that don’t have the time to grind to do what they want will be more apt to spend cash. If the game ever releases and no more wipes, maybe it would be a bit different.

[@charlesoutdoors2424]

If you enjoy playing the game then spend what you can afford and or subscribe if nothing else. I buy ships when I can. Then I can trade them in on bigger more expensive ships next time I have an extra 100-200 to spend. Someday I may have a 1300.00 ship. In the mean time I like buying paints for the ships that I own.

[@MKultrapdx]

Wait, your ships get wiped? Crazy as most games with a business model like this the vehicles are permanently bound no matter how many wipes.

[@Farrister]

Only in game purchases, not purchases with cash (at least, not now)

[@wargodgamer5527]

if I buy a ship in game and it is destroyed can I still reclaim it?

[@Farrister]

In current game, yes :)

[@loroc00]

I figured that if i pay thousands of dollars over the years for skins in games like league of legends where i get absolutely nothing in terms of gameplay why not a couple hundred for actual gameplay

[@Farrister]

Thousands on skins? :O

[@MichaelDBruce]

I have purchased ships like the vulture so taht I can engage in a game loop i enjoy without having to delay that enjoment. I do see these purchases in teh same light as an NFT. its a piece of digital art that I own for as long as teh servers remain open. Eventually SC will be closed down and all this will be lost

[@Farrister]

A really good point!

[@Ace-Brigade]

As someone who has bought plenty I will answer that question for you emphatically and the answer is NO! SAVE YOUR MONEY! I totally regret the money I have donated to this cause that will never end.

[@Farrister]

haha