Post IAE 2953 fleet changes

[Daak Gelrin]

Anyone make any significant changes to their fleets this IAE? Large or small fleets, doesn't matter. How was your struggle, if any?

My fleet changes:
Remove: Taurus
Remove: Fury

Add: Idris K upgrade from buybacks (Decided it was time to get in the hangar officially)
Add: Galaxy + Cargo module (Base building future)
Add: Spirit C1
Add: Storm AA (for funsies)

The Spirit C1 will eventually become a Zeus CL
The Storm AA will eventually become a Zeus MK

At least that's the current plan... we'll see how it survives future ship releases.
I really like the Arrastra, but decided to stick with my Orion for now, which is an original concept that's value has really skyrocketed.

 

[Raven_King]

Remove: none, but went through all my CCUs and melted the ones I didn't have a reason to keep. That's always cathartic. I maintain a massive spreadsheet that complements CCUGame, and it's pleasing when they are both fully up to date. :)

Add: Syulen because why not, and it has LTI if I get tired of it's weirdness
Add: A couple of WB CCUs to slightly improve one or two existing chains, but SO many warbond offers this IAE were repeats of ones we've had before and which I still had plenty of :(
Add: CCUs to make four new chains: A2, Hull D, Endeavor and an Arrastra, all with LTI. All use a LOT of CCUs I had in hangar already, and have between 49% and 65% savings off current MRSP. The store credit from melting unwanted CCUs paid for the majority too, so I just needed a bit of new money for a few new WB CCUs, and a couple of Cutter Scouts to backfill older (and better) LTI tokens I committed to use in these chains. I'm down to my last Hoverquad WB with LTI.

Altogether a relatively cheap IAE compared to previous years, and it felt really satisfying to get some more chains in hangar. Happy about that!

[Edit] Oh, and I'm a little bit sad you still can't upgrade a PTV to anything else.

 

[Richard Bong]

Not significant. I melted my Cutlass Blue to Zeus II MR CCU, bought a Hornet Wildfire to Zeus II MR CCU and a Sabre to Hornet Wildfire CCU.
Total spent $5.

I decided I rather have the option of both the Blue and the MR. Nothing applied, so no changes to the fleet.
The plan is to add the MR and replace the Sabre with either an F7C (LTI token in buy back) or F7CS. If the MR seems worth it at release. The Wildfire is so I can switch to a Hornet sooner rather than later instead of just going straight to the MR from the Sabre.

 

[Mudhawk]

I sold my MSR and my Sentinel. Used the money in a 24 hour loop to buy and sell 10year ship tokens. Mostly ships that can only be bought on special occasions like IAE.
Then I upgraded my Taurus to a Railen. Not much change since the Loaner is a Taurus. But now I also got a Khartu'Al to play with.
And then I closed some gameloop holes by buying a Vulture and a Prospector.
Bought me a Syulen for fun and a Harbinger because sometimes you need some kind of heavy artillery.
And a Herald because after some warbond tomfoolery I noticed that I somehow still had the money for one. :-P

 

[BUTUZ]

Picked up a Zeus Ii Clipper with some spare store credit.

That's it.

Discipline is the key to happiness.

 

[FZD]

Before IAE I was planning to remove my Reclaimer as a chain ender and turn it into an Orion instead, seen how Hull C had gone up way more than I expected and Orion was in my reach.
Then they announced that Orion would go up to $650. Well, sucks.
Contemplated my Hull C -> Reclaimer CCU, figured I'll keep it around since, idk, maybe a Reclaimer will be better for me in anycase.
Then they announced RSI Arrastra, looking real fine at $575, so I got a chain to that.
Then Orion got a WB CCU for $575 so I got that as well.

Now my plan currently is Orion, but I still go options to go for Arrastra or Reclaimer instead, if Orion ends up being bad.

 

[Richard Bong]

This thread is much quieter this year than most previous years.

If this thread is any indication, it looks like CIG's IAE this year wasn't as money producing as previous years.

 

[White Lando]

I had some WB CCUs saved up and used them on a BIS 600i. I grew up in the 80s and that paint just screamed hair band to my soul. I had to have it.

 

[Raven_King]

This thread is much quieter this year than most previous years.

If this thread is any indication, it looks like CIG's IAE this year wasn't as money producing as previous years.

That was the feeling I got too, but apparently we're not right about that - the funding dashboard in CCUGame today saying Nov '23 brought in >18% more than Nov '22, and it's not quite over yet:

So overall funding for 2023 is currently up >3% on this time last year. It looks like the SQ42 announcement and Star Engine demos brought along a surge of new players (there was a surge of new players) who spent enough to offset reduced spending this year vs last from players who backed a year ago or earlier, and I think I remember seeing somewhere that the F8C Wallet-lightning brought in a lot of money too.

Of course, with inflation running higher than 3% that would be a drop in real terms.

Inflation aside, I hope it continues. I'm a bit worried about how sustainable it is financially; are concept ships being released faster or slower than new concepts are being announced? Is profit from new ship concepts (sales vs total aggregate cost to put them in the game after all overheads, taxes etc.) enough to fund development and putting in game of some of the really old concept ships whose income isn't that big any more, but which will still cost quite a lot to develop. (BMM? Endeavor? I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.)

In other words, is the sum of revenue CIG has already earned over the years from players backing concept ships which are still in concept now getting bigger or smaller over time? Or, is CIG's 'total debt to backers' getting bigger or smaller? (It is categorically NOT a debt, but it is sometimes perceived by backers as one.) I'd hope they can steadily bring that 'total debt to backers' down, while keeping plenty of fresh income coming in to fund the business and remain profitable.

 

[Richard Bong]

That was the feeling I got too, but apparently we're not right about that - the funding dashboard in CCUGame today saying Nov '23 brought in >18% more than Nov '22, and it's not quite over yet:
View attachment 25263

So overall funding for 2023 is currently up >3% on this time last year. It looks like the SQ42 announcement and Star Engine demos brought along a surge of new players (there was a surge of new players) who spent enough to offset reduced spending this year vs last from players who backed a year ago or earlier, and I think I remember seeing somewhere that the F8C Wallet-lightning brought in a lot of money too.

Of course, with inflation running higher than 3% that would be a drop in real terms.

Inflation aside, I hope it continues. I'm a bit worried about how sustainable it is financially; are concept ships being released faster or slower than new concepts are being announced? Is profit from new ship concepts (sales vs total aggregate cost to put them in the game after all overheads, taxes etc.) enough to fund development and putting in game of some of the really old concept ships whose income isn't that big any more, but which will still cost quite a lot to develop. (BMM? Endeavor? I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.)

In other words, is the sum of revenue CIG has already earned over the years from players backing concept ships which are still in concept now getting bigger or smaller over time? Or, is CIG's 'total debt to backers' getting bigger or smaller? (It is categorically NOT a debt, but it is sometimes perceived by backers as one.) I'd hope they can steadily bring that 'total debt to backers' down, while keeping plenty of fresh income coming in to fund the business and remain profitable.

Well I did open my wallet for the first time since they blamed us for their inability to meet their own self imposed deadlines. They got $20 from me because they finally finished something and declared it done.

The Lightning doesn't impress me. On paper I prefer my Vanguard. :) And I'm not interested in jumping through hoops for the privilege of spending money to get one.
If the Zeus MR turns out to be a great ship and they follow through with things they said at Citizen Con, I may (or may not). replace my Sabre with a Hornet.

 

[Dirtbag_Leader]

I think I only spent $15-$20 on new WB CCUs this year, with most of my IAE activity having been spent on rolling a good chunk of credit through a bunch of new standalone ships. Buyback locker is starting to fill out nicely!

 

[Mudhawk]

Picked up a Zeus Ii Clipper with some spare store credit.

That's it.

Discipline is the key to happiness.

"Disciplin" says the guy who had enough store credits lying around to buy a Zeus.
Then again, you lost no money that wasn't gone anyway.
Instead you gained a new dream.
And a Spirit C1 to play around with.
(By the way, buy the Spirit's Radiant paint. It's kinda mandatory for Squardon members.)

 

[Mudhawk]

I had some WB CCUs saved up and used them on a BIS 600i. I grew up in the 80s and that paint just screamed hair band to my soul. I had to have it.

Absolutely fabulous!
I kinda did not like the blue belly part on the 600i but now..!
I simply have to splash that paint on my 600i and rename her "TSS Steel Panther".
THEN I gonna replace the weapon hardpoints with speakers and start a tour of the planets!
Death to all but metal!!!
PS: Come to think of it, i'll splat the peint on my Vulture and come the time I'll name her " TSS Death to all Metal". "TSS Glory Hole" as a second option...

 

[White Lando]

Absolutely fabulous!
I kinda did not like the blue belly part on the 600i but now..!
I simply have to splash that paint on my 600i and rename her "TSS Steel Panther".
THEN I gonna replace the weapon hardpoints with speakers and start a tour of the planets!
Death to all but metal!!!
PS: Come to think of it, i'll splat the peint on my Vulture and come the time I'll name her " TSS Death to all Metal". "TSS Glory Hole" as a second option...

Pretty sure one of the designers saw this before making that paint:

 

[Mudhawk]

Well, they might have taken a hint here and there...

 

[Mudhawk]

PS: I do not deal in empty threats...

 

[Sky Captain]

Picked up an Arrastra and Storm. Otherwise minor CCU changes to the fleet just shifting current inventory a little.

Overall I felt it was a low key IAE.

 

[Dirtbag_Leader]

Well, I briefly had it down to $205, but 'lost' $5 with the SH price bump, so at that point I said screw it, beating the original concept price by $40 is 'good enough,' plus the number of CCUs in my hangar was staring to get a bit unwieldy, so I went ahead and applied my full STV -> BMM chain. It's now locked in and in my hangar awaiting flight ready status!

 

[Blind Owl]

San'tok.yai and Sentinel went away, but I now have a 600i, Diplomatic Impunity, and a Zeus CL because tractor beam, and she looks like a decent solo ship.

I'm sure I'll reclaim my Sentinel eventually, or just buy in game. Also, I have a nice CCU path back to the San'tok.yai.