Discontinue the current subscription model and provide base level ships for all players, while creating a path for poor people to get better equipment by doing a ton of grinding.

Let the rich players pay in 'VO Coins', that can be bought with real money, for premium ships and weapons. Players could also use 'VO Coins' in order to transport large quantities of raw materials from one station to any other station in the universe.

For example, a player who wants to fly an X1 or a SCP could pay the equivalent of $0.25 for each ship, while someone who wants trident would pay the equivalent of $5.00 for a 24 hour rental. They could also buy the trident for the equivalent of $100.00 in 'VO Coins'.

Players would be able to earn 'VO Coins' through active play, similar to the Bitcoin farming that is done. They could buy, sell or trade in 'VO Coins' which would be redeemed when someone makes a final purchase against Guild Software.

You're a few days early mate.

An excellent idea fluffs. I also propose that VO coins should have a hole in the middle so that you can store them on top of the corks on your hat ...

Actually besides subscription cost only charge real money for "VO coins" to reestablish neutral standing to any faction that you tank below neutral say the real dollar value being $500. Not pay to win but pay to not be KOS. Then we all get Death Fluffy to tank his standing with all factions.

And let players pay to tank another players standing. For example, I could pay to make Esp kos with Serco, or Ecka kos with UIT.

+1 to pay to tank. Nothing like making profit off of hate!

"Pay to Win" would KILL this game. I have played some before and unless you spend "tons of money" you can never keep up.

This is a Skill Based Game and that is the main attraction to it vs so many others that are out there.

Devs can create Not exactly Pay to Win packages but special game features packs where someone can buy the Trident Type-M for example (many ppls likes to fly only capships...) or later the next Trident variants or many other and only manufactureable items (not something out of game and exclusively....) and thats the point of it ...and this dont make it Pay to Win ...."pay to play my game is and have the money to do that"!!!

Also for devs is good to create packages for VO Playing time (full game ...not limited license!!)....many ppls want to play 1 hour today 3 hours tomorrow ...and next week another 2 hours ...many ppls dont have time for many hours day playing ....and is good for the any game company to have alternative ways of paying to playing and to give to their customers....

Cheers....

And then they can add 3d avatars to the game for when we're walking around stations, and there could be a whole mess of clothing options purchasable with real life funds to trick out your dude. People who paid enough money could also get a gender-bender-ray that would toggle other people's avatars' gender, thereby obsoleting much of their wardrobe!

+1 to crotchless leather chaps

Isn't it already pay to win? ;P
You can't buy Gatling Turrets, Sunflare Rockets, or Chaos Swarms without a premium sub.

Yeah but we don't have wardrobe warfare yet. Won't be a real game until we do!

This game being not pay to win is the cause that I started playing and I am still subscribed. Changing the payment model for aesthetic values are ok, but changing it to make the game pay to win is a dealbreaker for me.

You know, it occurs to me that this whole "pay to win" mindset is starting to get old. We need to jump onto the "pay to lose" boat instead! It will be the next big thing, and if we get in on it early, we'll reap the rewards!

-1. What's with the stupid ideas lately? Between this one and this mass account reset here:
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/28735

Me thinks something is in the water.

only if we have ship interiors and I can buy an actual swim-up bar upgrade to my trident.