I think what
cyberboth is saying rings true though.
yes the original was hard but for any starting CMDR (even after doing the tutorials) you can still feel out of your depth so any incentive i.e. bonus weekend or whatever you want to call it is a good way for them and even new players to give elite (another) shot.
Cmdr Kharma wrote:I played the original Elite and it was a hard game.....A fucking hard game.....Docking was a kin nightmare.....Making money was a kin nightmare....
It led to pieces of paper spread everywhere with station names and market prices on......
No third party well do this, go there, buy this, sell it here programs......
There's bound to be players that don't use Youtube, Apps etc. just as you. they don't know where to go what to do and you know just as well as me that 95% of the money you make that isn't from bounties or bonds is tied to your current rank. so a low ranking CMDR doing the same mission you are for a fraction of the pay-out. and killing that FDL, python, conda takes a little bit longer when you trade in your fully engineered (enter ship here) for a close to stock eagle, cobra or what have you.
Or to look at it from another angle; anything that draws in new players is good. it gets money in FDevs pocket, gets new blood in the community.
keeps peeple engaged longer and thus making it more likely that those commanders buy horizons, a ship kit or paintjob = money in FDevs pocket.
money for FDev = support and development for the game we are playing.
a growing community is also a positive thing, hard to market a game that has a low player count, especially if it has an online requirement.
Whatever ship another commander has only impacts open play slightly by means of PvP, in a PvE group like Mobius it doesn't impact me in the slightest.
it's indirectly funding the game/community sounds like a win to me.
so keep the new(er) CMDRs coming, i welcome you. seek me out if you have questions regarding the game i'd be happy to help.