This idea of making access to the raptor available only from a 6 month subscription or 6 months of an account is a great idea. It shows me VO is moving forward. I think more things like this should happen. Not just for high poly count objects but for other small improvements in the game. This is exactly the type of steps necessary to grow the VO community. It will ensure people no longer to forget to resubscribe. I just ended my subscription in october. It will run out in February. Well not anymore I am definetly resubscribing. Please continue with good ideas like this and keep up the great work on the game.

Well I'm definitely not in favor of it. Although I know the devs didn't want intend to, but this seems like a gimic-ish thing to me. I don't like the idea of anyone being denied a ship just because they didn't pay $X.

I disagree. I think it's fine to limit special options to those who pay the most.

I agree with wylfing and jkloos. It's a smart buisiness move. Maybe it will help, you know, more people play the game.

Yea I don't care cause I'm a beta.
If I wasn't though I'd be mad as heck.

Well if you were not beta you would be able to get it by signing up for 6 months at a time. Makes it even CHEAPER per month... so I do not think anyone can complain. Everyone can get it really. And it will help the devs, if it helps them its good for the game, if its good for the game its good for us etc etc.
So I am all for it.

M. Duncan

Given that the Raptor is going to be the only ship in its class, can't help wondering if it'll be the only ship anyone ever uses. Except for the poor, obviously.

I assume the usual balances will come into play (i.e. it's fast and heavily armed, but not very nimble, or heavily armoured and armed, but not fast or nimble, and so on.

Yeah i don't think giving a massive advantage to the high-paying is exactly fair. I can see giving them access to different things, but you can't give 6-mo subscribers a comparative superbus...

I think it's a good idea my self. It will give people some thing to look forward to.

In-game reasons could be some thing like. Hey yo, you've been a licenced pilot for six months now congrats, you can now be trusted to fly some of the faster ships and crap yo.

As long as it's not better than an SVG or IBG or Hog TD.

I'm not going to make a special ship available to a subset of users that's better than all the other ships. I intend to balance it and keep it well within the bounds of the other top ships.

That said, I imagine everyone will use it anyway, at least initially, just because it's new and cool looking.

yea, like how everyone spent all their time mining for a couple weeks after that was added

I'm fully behind the devs in regards to the 6-months requirements for the Raptor.

Perhaps this should also be flagged with an "Active Duty Medal" that shows who's a regular on VO.

I would expect others like the TPG Trident and TPG Destroyer to require the same level of commitment. Plus the required levels and so forth.

That's kind of a neat idea, Mogul. An "Active Duty" Medal.