Thoughts about the subscription model

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[Swadro]

Hello out there!
Hope you're doing good.

Today there was the next update to Nautis Home.
At the same time the homepage was restructured. The FAQs were added. It also answers the question about the price and payment model.
"The NAUTIS Home simulation software will be available as an accessibly priced monthly subscription. There will be different price packages for organizations and individual users."
I think this is an interesting step to bring private and business customers closer together.
I have been experiencing it in the professional environment for some time and have been waiting for it to happen in the private software environment.

I think VSTEP's step is very courageous and I hope they will be successful with it. Because they have also announced a continuous further development, which should include new ships and environments as well as new features.
If this gives us as users the opportunity to promote the continuous development, I think that's very good, if a certain cost framework is kept per year.
In the end, it will hopefully save us from having to buy DLCs to get new content.


All in all, this update was a great step forward and I'm excited about what I see.
How are you guys feeling about it?

Kind regards
Olli

[Holland4]

It looks good but it isn,t a game like Shipsim was.
No multiplayer for those who want to have fun and sailing together.

[Brave Sir Charge]

I'm probably going to be skipping Nautis Home. I'm not one for subscribing to things. Also the apparant lack of multiplayer is quite a dissapointment.

[MokMok]

I don't like the subscription model too. And very pity that it seems that Nautis Home won't have any Multiplayer mode. I think that we may need to divert to Virtual Sailor NG, or the war games like War Thunder and World of Warships.

[stormforce]

Personally I think Vstep have lost sight of what their audience want, my belief is that they want a successor to SSE, and a core requirement of that, is that it MUST have multiplayer, this issue alone is a deal breaker. Switching to a subscription model is only beneficial to the developer not the end user, I want to choose what I pay for.
I think that paid for mods puts more pressure on the developer to produce higher quality content, if the mod is not good it will not sell. Subscription services churn out mediocre content just to give the subscriber something to keep them interested, I do not believe that this is beneficial to the long term future of the game.
From the information that has been made available so far it is clear that the true shipsim gamer, myself included, have already rejected Nautis Home. This is turning into a big missed opportunity by not delivering what the audience wants.

[saken]

As already stated, when I read about subscription vs. payware... I was quite disappointed...

I have physically purchased Ship Simulator 2006, 2008 and Extremes. I will however never subscribe to anything. Sorry VSTEP, but I'm not into that kind of thing.

[LucAtC]

While waiting for Vstep changing his mind about subscription or some other choice under pressure of "fan(s) of simulation games", I wonder if anyone had some experience of MSFS addons to turn MSFS into a boat simulator.
I am not familiar with flightsim aerodynamics, but basically what could be difficult to simulate is wave interactions particularly if the movement of the centre of buoyancy was a missing MSFS parameter.
MSFS has MP capabilities, full world, but of course no credible ports of call, but eventually enough features to wait for Nautis Home's published policy change.
Who knows?
By the way, this idea is completely independent of VStep and Nautis Home, of which both I have no connection.

Regards,
Luc

[Traddles]

Good afternoon Luc,
Great to hear from you again. It looks very much as if the old players of The Ship Simulator series are somewhat disappointed in the subscription method of acquiring the  Nautis Home set up.
It will be a shame if the players of the original series do not, or cannot, accept the proposed system.
Regards,
Angus.

[LucAtC]

Hello Angus,
Indeed, I think the client target group of Nautis Home is that of "maritime professionals", eventually ex- ones, and "maritime students". Being "... fan of simulation games looking for... introduction to ship simulation" is apparently only a secondary target, that doesn't truly describe ShipSim actual players, who are more striving for enough realism, multiplayer, wind and streams, some better engine and controls simulation and of course improved graphics, in line with today's video cards.
Moreover, subscribing for a single unfinished game -be it named simulator- still needing functionalities and components seems bizarre, but I can be wrong, having no experience in hiring games, as one doesn't know how it would turn out to be. I remember European Ship simulator, and various other ship simulators being simply bad for one or another reason, that we bought before at beta stage, kickstarter?
And how long would it last till the (very improbable) bugs are corrected, and desired features implemented?
So, somewhat disappointed and puzzled, yes.
And also, didn't you download frigate and minehunter?

Regards,
Luc

[Traddles]

Hello again Luc,
I have to admit that I am disappointed with the news of Nautis Home up to now. The very name seems to me, and I think you, as well as others, is a misleading title. Hopefully as time passes Vstep will re-think somewhat. It has become clear to me that there have been many changes taking place with the personnel of the Company and that it is not completely understood that the very loyal past members of the Forum and players were very involved in helping the development of Nautis itself.
KInd regards, {in hope},
Angus.

[Captain Cadet]

I think I’m in the same boat as everyone else and thinks the subscription model completely is rubbish. I have been debating whether to get a PC (Mac for work as I need Xcode et al) with the idea of playing NAUTIS. I remember the online multiplayer games being fun and especially being able to talk and work together with other community players quite  fun  even with unreliable Internet. The problem with subscription software is that it’s inherently more expensive. And puts the game in the same situation whereas if it does not become as profitable as vstep want they can just pull the plug am at the game done.

We’ve seen it with other games where you said that being a community hacking it to work after the developer pulled out and we’re also seen with NFT (don’t get me started with how much of a scam it is and as soon who works in tech research it is complete 💩 - I can have the rant elsewhere)


Genuine this is a shame as I felt VSTEP were wanting to engage with it’s older member base again as it cheaper than developing a new memeberbase.

[GeoP17]

I think I have a different opinion than most of you guys. I used to hate subscription model in the past but after an experience with another subscription-based simulator game, I have to say that for dedicated fans like us, it's good news. It means that the platform will get updated frequently and most probably will never die. VSTEP is a big business and will not let its customers down like that.

Actually going at a store and buying a game is well and truly over for many years now. Everything is done digitally nowadays and a lot have changed since 2010 and 2012.

These games made me fall in love with ships when I was a primary school kid. Now, just a few months away from being promoted to 2nd Officer, I still look forward to the new release. I don't want to see it die like its predecessors and for sure I don't want to buy a game that will remain the same for another 10 years.

For those who follow simracing, just check iRacing's history. Subscription model since 2008 and every three months they release more and more updates. Today it is better than it ever was. It's the only way to keep a title like this alive nowadays.

Let's not draw any conclusions and wait to see the actual subscription plan.

PS: Regarding multiplayer, I am disappointed as well.

[Captain Cadet]

I think for me the big problem is I used to save money to buy games and there was no way I could afford a subscription. Ships sim isn’t the only game I’ve brought with Microsoft flight simulator and a truck simulator and a few other things I’ve brought which stands out.

As someone who develops apps, I completely get the whole subscription model and there are definitely places for it but I think vstep Needs touching make it worth it which we haven’t seen so far.

I knew they were a few packages available for previous games which you have to pay for and they were great but if we look at the development of the games that aren’t any development happening after a couple of years with major updates not really bringing much for the table. Where is consumers expectable from subscriptions as we don’t see it as a final product. Subscriptions work for apps that people forget about but for the people who are still using it to still expect more by looking at previous developments from the stuff I’m a little bit hesitant.

The big problem with SSE was the poor choice of the game engine- that technical debt would need to be resolved quickly in a subscription model

[GeoP17]

I hope that the main reason of this new policy is development over the years. If Nautis Home ends up like SSE I would be massively disappointed as well. But maybe they add new environments, new scenarios and more vessels with this extra money. Who knows?

Imo, if they go the same way again like 12 years ago, we gonna see another SSE. My pocket does not like how all this situation is developing, but it is the best chance this game has in order to be a good one.

As I have already said, let's wait and see the pricing. For me somewhere around 4-5€ per month for something without multiplayer would be just fine. If they decide to go above that, which would mean that per year pricing would be above 60€, I think they gonna lose their most loyal fans.

Vstep are in a good position if you ask me... They have a thirsty community waiting for a new release for over a decade now. They don't have to prove anything beforehand. Just release something stable and solid, an everyone would be happy. Then our community will do the marketing...

[oldman777]

Because NAUTIS Home will be first released in Early Access, we will introduce the software to you for Early Access pricing. Licenses are going to be available on a monthly or on a six-month basis. We will update the website soon with more information, stay tuned! 

Multiplayer will have a prominent place on the roadmap and will be rolled out in phases next year. 
Our aim is to have a feature complete NAUTIS Home ready by the end of 2023!

Yours sincerely,
NAUTIS Home Team

[LucAtC]

Hello, to paraphrase the ad and laugh a bit.

Whether you're a simulation enthusiast, a maritime professional wanting to keep your skills sharp, or the head of a maritime training organisation, Nautis Home will meet your expectations for the minimal annual outlay of just under €60, perhaps as much as €72 during the Early Access period. In a little over a year, it will be just under €100 per year.

It's exciting: Indeed, thanks to a graphically dazzlingly accurate environment, the enthusiast will be able to learn the finer points of docking various ships with multiple tugs, subject to strong and variable wind and cross-current. The realism of the manoeuvres will amaze professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the subscription will be like (for example) Netflix, with the possibility of leaving and returning, what quality the internet connection should be, etc.

A bit like MSFlightSimulator 2020.

Regards,
Luc

[Traddles]

I am rather concerned about the hardware requirements as listed in the August newsletter. I did not expect such a big increase in the hardware requirements. I attach my DxDiag which is sadly below the required level.
Not sure if I can find the money for a more powerful machine. With the increase in costs of heating fuels from tomorrow in UK things are looking rather bleak.

Regards,
Angus.

[LucAtC]

Hello Angus,
Please tell me the requirements, indeed nor the Nautis Home August, and September for that matter, Update newsletters seem to contain hardware requirements, except indirectly the now famous ...
We are confident that NAUTIS Home will run on a typical Windows PC or Laptop with a recent GPU.

As well, the issue of wind and currents has not yet been addressed, and the subscription could benefit from some clarification : Will it be possible to hire a month - or 6 eventually - from time to time?
The comparison with MSFS 2020 is, I know, not quite right, not honest, but it is also surprising that downgrading Nautis 3 to Home takes so much more time and efforts than upgrading Ship Simulator 2008 to Nautis.

Having re-read my previous post, I wonder if the sarcasm wasn't too much diluted in nice talk. I find all that a bit ridiculous.
Anyway, wait and see !

Regards,
Luc

[MokMok]

Vstep should better introduce a pay to win model (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-to-play#Pay-to-win) (P2W) in Nautis Home in order to acces extra features and to achieve higher levels, in stead of using a monthly/yearly subscription model. Pay to win is very common in (naval) wargames like World of Warships and War Thunder. Advantage of P2W is that a game is free with only basic features enabled.

[Traddles]

Hello again Luc,
In the August Email from Vstep there was a poll which included the hardware requirements.
The hardware requirements mentioned are :- Windows 10 / 11
                                                                  Memory 16GB Ram
                                                                  GPU Nvidia 1060GTX or Equivalent.
Hardly a typical Windows PC.?? Or am I possibly totally out of touch nowadays, now that I am getting very old?

Regards,
Angus.

[MokMok]

Hello again Luc,
In the August Email from Vstep there was a poll which included the hardware requirements.
The hardware requirements mentioned are :- Windows 10 / 11
                                                                  Memory 16GB Ram
                                                                  GPU Nvidia 1060GTX or Equivalent.
Hardly a typical Windows PC.?? Or am I possibly totally out of touch nowadays, now that I am getting very old?

To run Nautis Home properly, I think that this game isn't suitable for running on an average Windows PC. It seems to be that you need a state of the art game PC to run this game well. While Virtual Sailor NG doesn't need that high hardware requirements (http://hangsim.com/virtual-sailor/about-virtual-sailor.php#Minimal-requirements) to run this game.

[Mr Robville]

I am personally not a fan of subscription models, though in this case it could have its advantage.
With the ShipSim games there was a recurring problem of a lack of support, even within Vstep's doors. When I did customer support, I'd often receive requests for improvements that on the surface would appear very easy to implement. But it was impossible to do so because the knowledge had already disappeared about an engine that is very user-unfriendly to figure out. Vstep had already moved on to their next product basically.

With a subscription model and a brand new platform to build on, I'd reckon the main advantage is that they have an incentive to keep everything updated, and actually have money to allocate resources on fixing/improving issues. With ShipSim, once it was out, it was out, and from the day of release, the chances of improvements being made would decrease by the day.

@Traddles,
PC tech has definitely improved. I always thought of my last PC to be pretty quick since it was good back when I bought it. Until after 8 years I realized that it simply wasn't anymore. I now assembled a machine that isn't even top of the line at all, and it is already light years faster than my previous machine. These specs are pretty alright for the average new PC nowadays. It just sucks that since chip shortage, the average PC now seems to cost what a top of the line machine used to cost pre-2019.

@MokMok,
Although P2W is indeed highly profitable, Vstep considers this a simulator rather than a game anymore. Since there is no inherent player vs player challenge in a simulator, nor the flexibility to alter ship behaviour without ruining the realism, a P2W model doesn't seem to fit that well in it. Though I would not be surprised if at some point they'd opt to have custom paint schemes in there if there is a large enough audience.

[thecarbu]

Hello, to paraphrase the ad and laugh a bit.

Whether you're a simulation enthusiast, a maritime professional wanting to keep your skills sharp, or the head of a maritime training organisation, Nautis Home will meet your expectations for the minimal annual outlay of just under €60, perhaps as much as €72 during the Early Access period. In a little over a year, it will be just under €100 per year.

It's exciting: Indeed, thanks to a graphically dazzlingly accurate environment, the enthusiast will be able to learn the finer points of docking various ships with multiple tugs, subject to strong and variable wind and cross-current. The realism of the manoeuvres will amaze professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the subscription will be like (for example) Netflix, with the possibility of leaving and returning, what quality the internet connection should be, etc.

A bit like MSFlightSimulator 2020.

Regards,
Luc

Whow !! so much expensive for a game !! 100€ a year !!! comparered to Fligt Simulator..... i'm affraid i won't purchase  a licence...

[Captain Cadet]

So I’m a little bit, unsure what to say here, as I’m a developer for a company that sells subscription software

Ultimately, the software is expensive and the developers are expensive. You need investments to be able to make software in the last few years. There has been a big push for software as a service model which relies on subscriptions. To get the capital to make the software your business plan must be liked by your investors. VSTEP is not making this software the goodness of its heart. They need money and profit from this endeavor.

This software will need after overtime will need bug fixes, maintenance, and new features which will cost money. In the past, VSTEP has been terrible at supporting games long-term which worries me no you’re a service, people expect things to work on things to get better. Being static does not cut it people can cancel subscriptions very easily.

I’m a bit concerned that this is very overpriced for most players, especially casual players and I’ve argued before saying that young me would not have been able to pay for this. But I also know where the money needs to come from. as I had to explain to one of our customers (who I know personally) developers are expensive so there’s that cash flow needed.

I’m a little bit sceptical, just like response of everyone here, that VSTEP may have set the price too expensive and will fail as a result.

I won't be getting this game as I’m now a Mac user (blame my job) but will be interested in who does actually get the game and their experiences

[The Ferry Man]

Call me old fashioned, but I like the old days where you paid a sum and got to actually own something

I would love to get a new ship sim, but I wouldn't pay for eveyr month for it - I wouldn't play it enough to justify it.